A MAN from Rhyl who burgled his 88-year-old mother and caused criminal damage to her Dyserth home has been spared jail.

Arwyn Williams, 59, of Beechwood Road, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for a year-and-a-half, at Caernarfon Crown Court today (November 23).

He had previously admitted charges of criminal damage to property and burglary.

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Prosecuting, Thomas McLoughlin told the court that, at about 4pm on May 17, Williams' mother was at her home when she saw the defendant stood in her back garden.

There had been issues between the two for a number of years, including him previously arriving at her home unexpectedly, and trying to gain access to the property in the early hours.

She had told him this was “unacceptable”, which Williams was displeased to hear.

Ms Williams initially ignored him on May 17, and did not answer when he rang her doorbell on multiple occasions.

But Williams then smashed a glass pane on her back door, before entering the house, and shouting at his mother while stood at her bedroom doorway.

His mother told him to go home, and felt “scared” and was “physically shaking out of fear”.

Williams then went into what was previously his room at his mother’s home and packed belongings, while police were contacted by his brother.

Officers arrived at the property to find Williams brushing up smashed glass, before being told by him that he attended his mother’s home because he feared she had died.

He had caused £200 of damage to the door, and also took his mother’s car key, as well as £90 and bank cards from her purse.

When interviewed by police, he admitted smashing the glass pane with an axe he had taken from his mother’s shed, and taking the items belonging to his mother.

In a statement, his mother said: “All of these incidents have caused me great stress. I can’t do anything without worrying that Arwyn might turn up at my house.

“I just want him to leave me in peace. He’s not welcome at my house anymore.”

Defending Williams, who had three previous convictions for four offences, Philip Clemo said his client wishes to apologise “unconditionally and unreservedly for the pain and anguish he has caused his mother”.

Mr Clemo said that Williams considered at least a portion of the £90 he stole from his mother was money owed to him, which he felt entitled to claim back.

Williams had claimed that, in the weeks that followed this incident, he pushed £100 through his mother’s letterbox to see that she was refunded.

He has a “chronic psychotic disorder”, Mr Clemo added, having previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“That doesn’t excuse him from culpability for these actions, but does perhaps go some way towards explaining them,” Mr Clemo said, inviting the court to suspend Williams’ custodial sentence.

Sentencing, Recorder Wyn Lloyd-Jones agreed to suspend Williams’ jail term, but urged him not to “throw this opportunity away”.

Williams will complete 20 days’ rehabilitation activity requirements, and adhere to an “entirely necessary” restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting his mother indefinitely.

He will also pay a statutory surcharge.

Recorder Lloyd-Jones told him: “I can tell that you’re obviously sorry for what you’ve done. I do accept that your unconditional and unreserved apology is genuine.

“I’m doing this with a view to try to help you, and therefore help society in general. I hope you do not throw this opportunity away.”