A Gateshead man has pleaded guilty to assault and using violence to force his way into his 70-year-old mother’s home, leaving the elderly woman on the floor.
Michael Rowan, of East Lea, Winlaton, appeared before Newcastle Magistrates’ Court to answer for the incident, which occurred on May 16 of this year. The court heard that Rowan had traveled to his mother’s property in Bensham, Gateshead, despite knowing he was not welcome. After finding the door locked, he proceeded to kick the entrance down to gain entry.
Christopher O’Brien, prosecuting, told the bench that the victim had asked her son to leave the property, but the situation escalated, resulting in the 70-year-old woman ending up on the floor. During the hearing, the prosecution alleged that Rowan had pushed his mother; however, the defense strongly disputed this account.
Paul Kennedy, representing Rowan, argued that the woman likely fell as a direct result of the force used to kick the door in, rather than a deliberate physical attack. “He accepts in his guilty plea that she must have fallen at the point the door was kicked in and that’s how she ended up on the floor,” Mr. Kennedy told the court. He added that the victim herself could not recall how she ended up on the ground.
The court was told that both mother and son had been consuming alcohol throughout the day leading up to the incident. Mr. Kennedy explained that Rowan had initially claimed he was concerned about his mother’s welfare, prompting him to force entry, though he later admitted he had no legitimate reason to believe she was in any distress.
In a strange turn of events, the court heard that after the incident, the pair continued to drink together before leaving the premises. “He accepts that his mum didn’t want him in the property,” Mr. Kennedy said. “He accepts he had no right to enter… He accepts assault on a recklessness basis.”
Rowan entered guilty pleas to charges of using violence to secure entry to a premises and assault by beating.
Chair of the bench, Peter Trevithick, opted to adjourn the proceedings to allow for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. Addressing the defendant, Trevithick noted that the court believed the threshold for a community order had been met but warned that all sentencing options—including custody—remain on the table.
“At this stage, we believe the community order threshold has been reached. All sentencing options remain open,” the chair stated.
Rowan was released on conditional bail. He is scheduled to return to Newcastle Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on October 15.
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