A MAN has been banned from contacting his mother after months of controlling her.

Gareth Hall, of no fixed abode admitted using coercive and controlling behaviour towards his mother Sally between February and September last year.

Hall, 28, used threatening language and behaviour to try to get money from his mother.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Friday, having originally denied the charge.

The court heard that Hall's behaviour "had a serious effect on her and you knew or ought to have known that the behaviour would have a serious effect on her."

Hall also maliciously damaged three doors at his mother's home

Magistrates issued a restraining order banning Hall from contacting his mother other than by letter or Facebook and banning him from going to her home in Curteys Walk, Crawley.

Hall was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and take part in a rehabilitation programme.

Coercive and controlling behaviour became a criminal offence in December 2015. The law is intended to protect victims of domestic abuse where the abuse they suffer falls short of physical violence.

Offenders cannot be convicted for a single incident and must commit a "purposeful pattern over time in order to exert power"