A 36-year-old man from Lendelede, West Flanders, is facing up to 19 months in prison for beating up his own mother and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, Belga News Agency and Het Laatste Nieuws have reported.
The man, known only as 'WD', was compared to a "light switch" by the case's lead prosecutor, insofar as "he could become aggressive from one moment to the next".
The attack on WD's mother is alleged to have occurred on 11 June last year, while she was working in her garden.
"He suddenly attacked her out of nowhere," the prosecutor said during a court hearing in Kortrijk on Monday. "He hit her face to the ground. Only then did she recognise her son. He shouted that she should no longer interfere in his relationship [with his ex-girlfriend], otherwise he would come and kill her."
A few months later, on 10 November, WD threatened to become violent once again when he learned that his ex-girlfriend, with whom he has a young child, had organised a birthday party for their son without consulting with him.
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"I will have so much fun cutting your throat," WD is reported to have said. He was quickly arrested and has been in pre-trial detention ever since.
"The defendant is struggling with a serious aggression and drug problem, is not in control of himself, and has little motivation to deal with this," the prosecutor said. "Working is also difficult for him because he finds that too hard and he says he can't get out of bed."
The prosecutor's remarks were corroborated by the defendant's lawyer, who said that his client — who has several prior convictions for domestic violence — was suffering from attention deficit disorder, as well as a heroin addiction.
The prosecutor is requesting that the man be sentenced to 19-months in jail; the defendant is pleading for a suspended sentence. The judge's final verdict is expected on 6 February.
