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Kieran Gillan, who had left his mum bleeding and bruised in an attack a few hours earlier, put on waterproof clothing before he took the container up to his parents' bedroom and poured the hot liquid over her.

Newcastle Crown Court heard over the following days the injured mum sent anonymous emails to the police but when two officers turned up at the door she feared they were not enough to control her son and keep everyone else in the house safe so she hid.

It was only when seven police officers arrived and Gillan, a church volunteer worker, was handcuffed and taken away from the house that she felt she could emerge and be helped.

The mum said she now wants nothing to do with her son and fears he could do the same again or even kill her in future.

Prosecutor Lee Fish told the court Gillan, 25, had been taken into care as a child and reunited with his mum when he was 18 but blamed her for his troubled past.

Mr Fish said the mum had moved in with Gillan and his dad but there were difficulties.

The court heard on the morning of November 24 last year Gillan started demanding that his mother leave the house then "started punching to her face, repeatedly" and left her bleeding with two black eyes.

Mr Fish said it was around lunchtime Gillan went back into the room and "threw the contents of a plastic jug over her" then told his dad it was "boiling water and sugar".

Mr Fish told the court: "The boiling water went down her face and onto her chest."

The court heard it was not until November 28 the mum was seen by a doctor.

She had burns to her face, neck, ear and chest and blistering to her finger.

The burns were dressed and have left scars which medics say are unlikely to be permanent but she said she has patches of hair that do not grow properly over the parts of her scalp that were burned.

In a victim statement she said: "It is bad enough someone could do this but the fact it was my own son made it much worse.

"This was totally unprovoked and over the top. There was no excuse for what he did.

"I don't want any more to do with Kieran. I am frightened of him. I can't trust him not to do something like this again or even worse, kill me.”

Gillan, of Stanhope Road, South Shields, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and assault.

Judge Penny Moreland sentenced him to four years and eight months behind bars with an extended licence period of two years and four months.

The judge said he poses a "serious risk of harm to members of the public, namely members of his family".

Gavin Doig, defending, said Gillan was at "breaking point" when he carried out the attacks.

Mr Doig read extracts from a letter Gillan had prepared for the court, which expressed his "deep regret" and said his own actions have "truly broken my heart".