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A drug-addicted son armed with a hammer tried to rob his mother and sister, before burgling their home minutes later.

Declan Adamson threatened his family members while demanding cash to feed his spiralling habit, Leeds Crown Court was told, before he took off with their handbags containing hundreds of pounds.

A victim impact statement from the 27-year-old’s mother was read out by prosecutor Vincent Blake-Barnard in court this week.

She said for 15 years she has “tried her best” with Adamson but he had “worn her down.”

Adamson was jailed for six years after admitting a string of offences, including burgling his own mother's home. (pic by WYP)

She added: “It became the norm to put up with his behaviour. This latest incident has taken my mental health over the edge. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I have to have someone with me when I leave the house.

“I just want to move forward. It breaks my heart to feel that about my son.”

The court heard that Adamson had gone to his mother and sister’s home in Cross Flatts on New Year’s Eve last year at around 6.30pm, demanding to be let in. He was eventually permitted inside and began making demands for money, while holding the hammer to intimidate his mother.

She told him she had nothing to give him, before he left. But Adamson returned 40 minutes later demanding to be let in again. He was told that the police would be called but he became angry and threatened to stab them.

He eventually broke the front door to gain access and stole his sister’s purse containing £50 and her bank card, and his mother’s purse with £500 and her bank card.

By the time the police arrived he had left. They took his mother and sister to emergency accommodation over fears for their safety.

But the next day Adamson and an unnamed woman were caught on CCTV trying to break into a house on St Luke’s Road in Beeston. He was identified by police.

Days later they caught up with Adamson who tried to get away on a pedal cycle, but they quickly detained him. He was found with a canister of CS gas in his pocket.

Appearing in court this week via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, Adamson admitted charges of attempted robbery, burglary, attempted burglary, making threats to kill, affray and possession of a noxious liquid.

He has 21 previous convictions for 46 offences. Mitigating, Sean Smith said Adamson had been “in and out” of care since he was young.

He said: “By the time he was 18, he was on his 18th conviction.”

He said that Adamson went off the rails again following the death of his son. He said: “This essentially destroyed him. He turned to crack cocaine and that has destroyed his life.”

He said he would rely on his mother for money to stop him committing crime to fund his habit. But since being held on remand, he has managed to get clean of drugs.

The judge, Recorder Dafydd Enoch KC told Adamson: “You have got yourself into trouble on many many occasions, and things have got really bad now.

“It’s a sad fact that you have been the author of your own misfortune. What you did was unforgivable.”

He gave him a six-year jail sentence and a restraining order of indefinite length to keep him away from his mother’s home.

Drug-addled Leeds son broke mum's heart by burgling her home