A MAN with a ‘short fuse’ stabbed his elderly mother at least six times and left her in a pool of blood while he went out to buy sweets, a court heard.

Steven Williams, 44, of Hailey Road, Chipping Norton, denies GBH and the attempted murder of Daphne Williams.

The incident allegedly took place on April 25 in Mrs Williams’s kitchen in Hailey Way while she was cooking dinner.

Prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson told Oxford Crown Court: “Steven Williams had a bit of a short fuse and occasionally threatened his mother with violence.

“He attacked her by strangling her, then repeatedly stabbing her with a kitchen knife and was attempting to kill her.”

Mr Williams suffered a brain injury in a car crash 10 years ago and relied on his mother for meals and financial help.

The court heard an argument over unpaid rent led to the attack, which left Mrs Williams, 72, with stab wounds to her neck, chest and abdomen.

In video testimony Mrs Williams said: “I was trying to fight him off and begging him to stop. I was saying ‘Don’t, Steve’.”

Bleeding heavily and ‘praying’, she removed the knife before calling police at 4.53pm.

Mr Williams is said to have gone home, then to Costcutter to buy sweets.

Police arrested Mr Williams at 5.35pm. He denied all involvement but said in an interview he was ‘surprised’ his mother had ‘grassed him up’.

A month later Mr Williams wrote to his mother from HMP Bullingdon, apologising for his ‘behaviour’ and denying any recollection of the incident, also asking for £50 a week for supplies such as cigarettes and sugar.

No blood was found on Mr Williams’s clothes and he has pleaded not guilty on all counts. The case continues.