A FORMER council worker who terrorised his mother in her own home over a 15-month period has been warned that he faces jail.

Southampton magistrates heard that Tracy Birks feared for her own safety after her son Danny moved back in and started making constant demands for money and tobacco.

At one stage she fled her home and went to live with her sister after he refused to move out, the court was told.

At an earlier hearing Birks, 24, admitted two offences of causing criminal damage at his mother’s house on the Netley View Estate at Hythe.

He denied indulging in threatening, humiliating and intimidating behaviour towards her but was found guilty after a trial presided over by District Judge Peter Greenfield.

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports.

Appearing before three magistrates, Birks was warned his behaviour warranted a custodial sentence and was told the case would be sent back to Judge Greenfield.

Sarah Lodge, prosecuting, said: “The defendant took over his mother’s life and caused her to live in fear.”

Quoting extracts from a victim impact statement written by Mrs Birks, Miss Lodge added: “I got extremely depressed. "The abuse was never physical but caused me a great deal of mental abuse.

“I knew I had to give into him. If I didn’t he would damage my property.

“He intimidated me by calling me horrible names, belittling me and trying to make me feel stupid. He needs professional help for his anger issues.”

The offences were committed between January 2016 and April this year, the court heard.

David Adams, in mitigation, said: “This is a sad case involving two members of the same family living under the same roof. They were at loggerheads and incidents occurred.”

Mr Adams said Birks suffered from obsessive compulsive order and his constant cleaning was partly responsible for the friction between mother and son.

He added: “This has had an effect on the defendant as well. He became depressed and lost his job at New Forest District Council.

“It is to be hoped that mother and son will mend their differences and reconcile.”

A probation report said Birks had adopted an aggressive and abusive attitude towards his mother, who was made to fear for her own safety.

The report added that Birks “had difficulty walking away from conflict”.

Court documents stated that the defendant was living at Powell Crescent in Totton. Birks said he was currently staying with his brother in Hythe, but claimed he could not remember the address.

He is due to be sentenced on August 7 and was remanded on conditional bail.