A Suffolk man who held a knife at his mother’s throat following a row about loading the dishwasher has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Margaret Stanway had tried to talk to her son David Stanway in the kitchen of their Saxmundham home but he told her to ignore him, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Stanway left the kitchen and returned with an empty cup which his mother told him to put in the dishwasher.

Daniel Taylor, prosecuting, said Stanway had "been trying to be difficult" and had put the cup on top of another cup and his mother had lost her temper. She had then picked up the cup and banged it on the worktop, causing the handle to break.

Stanway had immediately responded by picking up a knife and grabbing hold of his mother's clothing.

"He pushed her with force into the corner of the kitchen and held the knife to her throat," said Mr Taylor.

He said Stanway then told her: "I'm going to cut your throat."

Mrs Stanway told him to get off her and said she was going to call the police.

Stanway, 31, of Lambsale Meadow, Saxmundham, admitted making a threat to kill on March 3 and was given a 16 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a 50-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Sentencing him, Judge Emma Peters said his mother loved him deeply and had tried to support him.

"To pick up a knife and hold it against your mother's throat and threaten to cut it is very frightening," she added.

Oliver Haswell for Stanway said there had been tension in the household after Mrs Stanway made her son a mental health appointment - which conflicted with a meeting he was due to have with social services.

He said Stanway had a number of problems he was struggling to resolve, and on the morning in question he had told his mother he didn't want to talk to her.

Mr Haswell accepted the incident with the knife must have been very frightening for his mother but said she hadn't thought he would carry out the threat to cut her throat.

He said Stanway had been receiving help for his mental health issues.