A WINSFORD man who shouted 'just die' as he attempted to suffocate his own mother with a pillow has been jailed.

Steven James Hunt, of Catalan Close, was a live-in carer for his 63-year-old mother at the time of the attack on December 5 last year.

Chester Crown Court heard how the 42-year-old had been out drinking before he arrived back home at around 11.30pm.

He subjected her to taunts about her ill-health, telling her she had given up and to 'go back' to her already deceased parents, before he covered her face and mouth with a pillow.

A judge told Hunt it was a night his family would 'never forget' as he jailed him for six years and eight months.

Earlier, Brett Williamson, prosecuting, said Hunt had a 'nastiness' when in drink and that he had served a custodial sentence several years ago after punching his sister in the face.

He said: “He actually told his sister in a telephone conversation in July 2021 that he was fed up with looking after his mother, adding ‘I hope she dies soon’.

“On the night in question he arrived back home from the pub, drunk.

“His mother, who is vulnerable following a stroke in April 2021, was lying on the sofa and he told her she had given up, did not want to live and to ‘go back to your mum and dad’ who are already deceased.

“He grabbed a pillow and put it over her face and mouth and shouted ‘die, just die’.

“Although she kicked out and tried to move her head from under the pillow, he forced it back over her face.

“He eventually removed the pillow, his mother saying he only did so because he believed she might already be dead.

“He laughed at her and told her it would be so easy to make her death look like suicide.”

However, Hunt soon became apologetic and begged for forgiveness, but his mother confided in a friend what had happened the next day and he was arrested in the Prince’s Feathers pub that night.

An expert report concluded he had used moderate force and that the pillow had likely been over his mother’s face for minutes rather than seconds.

Milena Bennett, defending, said her client was full of remorse and in his warped sense of mind at the time, wanted to get his mother to take better care of herself and to not give up on life.

“He completely lost control of his emotions,” she said.

“He his absolutely disgusted with himself and it will haunt him for the rest of his life.”

Judge Simon Berkson said: “This is a night your family will never forget.

“You came home drunk, grabbed a pillow and pushed it down over your mother’s face and mouth.

“You were much stronger than her and she was unable to resist due to her age and vulnerable condition.

“She was left terrified and upset and continues to be traumatised by what happened.

“That is no surprise as she was suffocated in her own home - in a place where she should feel safe.”

Hunt was told he will serve half of his sentence in prison with the rest on license and the judge also imposed a 25-year restraining order.