25-year-old punched hole in mother’s door when she refused to give him cash for booze

She gave £10 to ungrateful Reece Harvey, 25, at her home.

He wanted just £5 to buy more booze but she handed him extra, knowing a late-night garage only sold pricier packs, a court heard.

But prosecutor Glenda Beck said he returned after making his purchase and requested more money for another matter, which was rejected.

It set Harvey off on a alcohol-induced blow-up which saw him go into her kitchen and punch a door early on Friday, September 25.

Mrs Morris called police – and in a statement told officers, “The more he drinks, the more he wants.

“He takes drugs. He tells me if I don’t want him back on drugs, I shouldn’t give him alcohol.”

Mrs Beck told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “Her son was living with her since he gave up drugs a month ago.

“She tries to keep him on the straight and narrow. They were at home drinking – she had three shandies and he had 12 cans of Carlsberg lager.

“She went to bed at 10.45pm and he came to her room around an hour later and asked for £5 to buy four cans.”

On being refused extra cash soon after, Harvey went into the kitchen and started “banging around” and was “very angry”, it was said.

Police arrived – and it was then Harvey’s mother noticed he had bashed a hole in the door.

The court heard Harvey, of Watt Moses House, High Street East, Sunderland, had a single previous conviction, for theft in 2019.

Greg Flaxen, defending, said: “It’s a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.

“Mr Harvey accepts that there’s been alcohol, and he accepts causing criminal damage.

“He accepts that he punched the door, on a reckless basis, and that he never meant to damage it.

“He has returned to the property to fix the door.”

Harvey, who pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage, was handed a 12-month conditional discharge, with £85 court costs and a £22 victim surcharge.

Magistrates rejected a prosecution application for a restraining order against him.