A drink and drug crazed son terrorised his mother by assaulting her and threatening to pour acid over her, a court heard.

Danny Cleaver tried to justify his behaviour by declaring he disapproved of relationships his mother and young sister were having.

But a judge told him: “In your own warped mind you feel in some way you hold the moral ground, chastising both of them about relationships.

“It is showing your mother the power you seek to exercise over them. It is humbug to come before this court and present those particular features.”

Cleaver, 26, was living in Meads Avenue, Sittingbourne, with his mother Janine, 47, and sister, then 15, between September last year and May this year.

Prosecutor Patricia May said there were several incidents in which Mrs Cleaver feared violence from her son and called the police, but was so scared of him she did not support prosecutions.

She had since changed her mind and described him threatening to break her wrists, pour acid on her, get friends to beat her up and kill her.

On one occasion in May she pressed a panic alarm provided by the police but Cleaver had gone by the time officers arrived.

He returned later and told her: “If you get the police on me I am going to pour petrol over you both.”

On another occasion, Cleaver kicked his mother in the mouth and punched her all over her body, shouting: “I am going to kill you.”

He intimidated her by threatening to “burn her out” while she was asleep if she did not drop charges against him.

On April 17, he pushed Mrs Cleaver around the kitchen and hit his sister.

The following month he was angry because he had been ripped off when buying drugs. He grabbed his mother by the throat, so that she struggled to breathe.

A few days later, Mrs Cleaver opened he door to let out her dogs and her son burst in and attacked her with a mop.

“She said she was in constant fear and terror of him,” Mrs May told Maidstone Crown Court.

“He is very controlling of her. He threw knives at the floor and said: ‘Imagine that going into someone’s guts.’”

Cleaver, of Liege Close, Kemsley, was jailed for 22 months after admitting a putting a person in fear of violence by harassment, intimidation and four assault charges, one involving his sister.

Craig Evans, defending, said Cleaver had been blighted by drug use and alcohol.

“He would drink when he could afford it and was spending up to £30 a day on cannabis,” he said.

“He was also using diazepam, an anti-depressant drug.

Judge Philip Statman said: “There is a public interest to ensure women are protected. I take the view this is a grave set of offences within a domestic situation.

“This is not someone who comes home drunk on a Friday night and commits assault on a mother or spouse on the spur of the moment. It is persistent and very troubling.”

The judge said Cleaver had abused his mother both mentally and physically so that she became terrified of him.

A restraining order banning Cleaver from going to his mother’s address or contacting her and his sister was made for 10 years.