A MOTHER and son who attacked a neighbour in her own garden have been sentenced at Bolton Crown Court.

Daniel Butterworth, aged 19, had to be fended off with a broom after producing a knife and his mother, Margaret Gaskin, dragged the victim around the garden of her home in Church Street, Farnworth, by her coat.

Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Butterworth, who has a lengthy criminal record, to 21 months’ youth custody and his mother to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Butterworth, of Church Street, Farnworth, and Gaskin, of Langford Gardens, Great Lever, both pleaded guilty to affray and the son also admitted possessing a weapon in public.

The court had been told how, on March 13, Butterworth had been drinking and got into an altercation with others in Church Street, during which he pulled a knife from his sleeve and waved it threateningly, forcing people to flee.

He was arrested for the offence and, while on bail, became involved in the affray with the woman in her garden on May 26.

Gaskin, aged 50, had entered the garden and dragged the woman around.

“This was a mean and alarming offence,” Judge Stead told her.

“This poor woman was your neighbour and was faced with a drunken attacker.”

Butterworth joined in, approaching with a knife and had to be kept at bay by another neighbour using a broom.

Brian McKennan, defending Gaskin, said she had acted out of a misguided loyalty to her son, was of good character until she was 50 years old and had now moved away from Church Street.

In addition to the suspended sentence she was ordered to take part in rehabilitation and activity programmes and must pay £1,000 in court and victim charges.

Butterworth must also pay £980 in costs and surcharges.