A MOTHER and father have been awarded a total of £125 compensation after being assaulted by their son.They looked on from the public gallery as their son, Simon Black, was given a community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay costs of £150 at South East Suffolk Magistrates' court.

A MOTHER and father have been awarded a total of £125 compensation after being assaulted by their son.

They looked on from the public gallery as their son, Simon Black, was given a community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay costs of £150 at South East Suffolk Magistrates' court.

The 35-year-old, of St Matthews Street, Ipswich, admitted one charge of assault by beating against his mother and a charge of assault against his father. He also admitted two charges of criminal damage.

The court heard that Black had had a "spate of confrontations" between December of last year and April of his year.

The first of the confrontations took place on December 24 when Black arrived at the house of his mother and, following an argument, assaulted her.

The next assault took place on February 17 when Black visited his mother again. The court heard that there was a confrontation between Black and his mother, before his father stepped in. Black became agitated by this and assaulted his father.

Black went on to commit a further offence of criminal damage, on March 16, when he kicked a hotel room door after finding that his swipe-card was not working and he could not get out of his room.

Another offence was committed on April 19 when Black, who was now homeless, took a prescribed drug given to him by a friend. After taking the drug he got on his bike and cycled through Ipswich town centre, before falling off. He damaged a metal bollard in falling and was knocked unconscious.

The court heard that since this incident Black had taken steps to address his behaviour and had been living in Portsmouth. During his time there he received treatment in the St James Psychiatric Hospital, in Portsmouth, and has been on medication for his mental illness.

Defending, Tania Thomas said: "All the offences seem to have taken place against a background of undetected mental illness and have been exasperated by alcohol and by being homeless."

Chairman of the Bench Matthew March said: "These are very serious offences and we have given custody very serious thought but we have taken into account your real attempts to sort out your life."

Black was ordered to pay compensation of £50 to his mother and £75 to his father.