A Cilgerran man assaulted his 78-year-old mother when he came home drunk in the early hours of the morning and discovered the door had been locked, a court has heard.

Piers Garner, 53, of Cwmplysog, admitted assaulting Janet Garner by beating when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Wednesday.

He returned to the home her shared with his mother in the early hours of November 29, and woke her up by banging on the door.

Abdul Hussain, prosecuting, said: “He started to be verbally abusive and saying horrible things. 

"He then grabbed her from behind, swung her around and held her by her wrists against a kitchen counter.”

Mrs Garner was not injured during the incident and managed to call the police.

Mr Hussain added that Garner suffered from mental health problems.

Jonathan Webb, defending, said Mrs Garner got up at 1am and locked the front door when she found her son had not returned home.

“He came home and knocked on the door," Mr Webb told the court.

"There was an argument and he grabbed her by the wrists.”

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Garner stated she was relieved that the police responded so quickly to her 999 call.

She said: “While I was very frightened by my son, he did not actually harm me. 

"I felt his behaviour was unpredictable because he was drunk. 

“I believe he needs hospitalisation to stabilise his moods.”

Magistrates adjourned sentencing for a report to be completed by the probation service.

Garner will next appear on December 14, and was released on bail with the conditions not to contact his mother or enter Cilgerran.