Welshpool, Powys painkiller addict made mum's life a misery

Jacqueline Powell said she felt like a "prisoner in her own home" after she gave in and called the police for help when her son Robert Bownes continually harassed her for money.

Bownes, 34, of Little Henfaes Drive, Welshpool, blamed his addiction to painkillers for harassing his mum in September and October last year in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday (February 27), Bownes was sentenced to 15 months for robbery, two months concurrent for fraud and six months to be served consecutively for theft.

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The court heard that Bownes admitted to his mum that he stole a number of sentimental items bought by her parents, 10 earrings and bangles worth £100 each, and tools including a chainsaw and a hedge trimmer to buy drugs.

He told his mum not to get them back because the people he sold them to were dangerous, but he would retrieve the items if she paid him £150. Mrs Powell paid him, but the items were not returned.

"Following that incident Mrs Powell said he was no longer welcome because he had his chance, but let him use her car for him to sleep in," prosecuting barrister Suzanne Francis told the court.

"The defendant came back to the house almost every day and would constantly ask for money and bang the windows. Mrs Powell said she felt like a prisoner in her own home."

On October 13, Bownes turned up at his mum's house asking for £200 but she phoned the police. Mrs Powell pushed him away when he returned later that evening and tried to grab her phone from her pocket, which had her bank card inside the case.

Shrewsbury Crown Court (Image: Google.)

Bownes' brother came downstairs and tried to get him out of the house using a baseball bat, but Bownes managed to get his mum's phone, pushed her and ran towards the car.

Bownes' brother smashed the windows of the car with the baseball bat to try and stop him from driving away.

Bownes later used the card to withdraw £500 from a cash machine at Sainsbury's in Bridgnorth and his car was tracked down to Welshpool where he was living at the time.  Police officers found packets of drugs inside.

Bownes breached his bail conditions not to visit his mum on October 22, when he claimed that he came to see the dog. He was arrested in the garden with his mum's bank card and phone.

Mrs Powell said in a statement: "I feel very distraught and bereaved. I just want my son to get for his drug addiction and mental health problems. I believe if he was not arrested, he would have committed suicide."

Bownes has been in prison on remand since late October.

Defending, Robert Edwards said: "He suffered from significant injuries to his back and is prescribed very strong painkillers and those painkillers became very addictive.

"It was never something he wanted to get addicted to. He is horrified."

Bownes was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court (Image: Google.)

During sentencing, Judge Barrie said he accepted Bownes acted in desperation because of addiction, but added: "It should not take away your self-control."

"Behaving the way you did towards your mother, making her life a misery with your persistence for money, refusing to leave the house, threatening and being physical, stealing her phone and bank card," he said.

"What ensured was a dreadful incident in which you were physically violent.

"You mother says she is distraught and bereaved and she has every reason to have those strong feelings about it."

He added: "Your history of being under the grip of this addiction does not excuse your behaviour."

Bownes must serve half his sentence in prison.