A single mother has been jailed for what was described as a vicious and brutal assault on her son while she was in a drunken rage.

The 33-year-old woman from the Wrexham area repeatedly kicked the 11-year-old boy who was so terrified that he ran out of the house in the early morning and rang the police for help.

The prosecution at Mold Crown Court alleged that she was wearing high heels at the time but the defendant claimed that she had her slippers on.

Jailing her for four months after she admitted an assault charge, Judge Gareth Edwards QC said that it was a vicious, brutal and sustained assault on a child who should have been able to look to her for protection.

"You were in a drunken, violent rage," Judge Edwards said, who added that it was not wholly out of character for she had previous convictions for violence.

'Vicious attack'

"I find it quite impossible to deal with a vicious attack on a helpless child - involving kicking him repeatedly and causing him nasty injuries - in any other way than by an immediate custodial sentence."

Crown prosecutor Mr Peter Humphrey-Jones told how the woman had gone out drinking with her boyfriend leaving the boy and other children with a babysitter.

But she telephoned during the night and said that she had been banned from a pub because of an allegation that the boy had stolen from someone there and added: 'You are dead when I get home'."

When she arrived home at 0130GMT, the boy ran upstairs and hid under a bed but she pulled him out.

Trapped in corner

He ran but was trapped in a corner and it was then that she kicked him.

He fell to the floor and curled up to protect himself as she continued to kick him to the head and arm and also stamped on his arm twice.

It was estimated that he was kicked to the leg 11 times.

Defending barrister Miss Prem Jesudason said the boy's behaviour had caused his mother considerable difficulty.

It was no excuse for her behaviour but she had found herself at the end of her tether.

He had been expelled from school for fighting, he had taken a knife to school and he had also been taking cannabis.