A TEENAGE boy whose mother was murdered by cannibal killer David Harker in 1998 has gone off the rails in recent years, a court heard.

Julie Paterson’s 19-year-old son, Freddie Newman, has become violent and has had numerous scrapes with law after turning to drink to block out memories of his early childhood.

His 31-year-old mother, from Darlington, was strangled with a pair of her tights, before her body was dismembered in the basement of Harker’s flat in Harewood Grove, Darlington.

Weeks later, her torso was discovered in a black sack in the garden of a derelict house in Polam Lane, Darlington.

Harker has refused to say what happened to the rest of her body, but has claimed to have eaten parts of her.

Her son was seven when she was killed.

Newman, who lives with his grandfather, also called Freddie Newman, at Braunespath Estate, New Brancepth, Durham, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for a savage assault on two schoolboys on Metro train.

His grandmother, Eleanor Newman, 67, from South Shields, said last night: “He has been drinking a lot and must have gone out of control.

“He has never talked about what happened. He keeps it to himself.

“I do not know if that is where his problems come from. Maybe it would help if he talked about it.”

Mrs Newman said her grandson’s father, also called Freddie, took his own life about three years ago, which had added to the young man’s troubled upbringing.

The Metro attack took place on May 27 on the way to South Shields and left one 15-yearold boy with a broken nose and a 16-year-old with soft tissue damage after they were punched and kicked on the ground for up to 15 minutes.

Michael Graham, prosecuting, said: “People on the train said they were frightened by the events that unfolded in front of them.”

Newman previously pleaded guilty to assault, along with a 16-year-old boy, who also admitted theft of a mobile phone, and a 17-year-old girl, who admitted the robbery of a bag from the group of two boys and two girls in their teens.

Newman has previous convictions for assaulting a police officer, theft and criminal damage.

Stephen Duffield, mitigating, said: “The court hears all too often about young people who have had an unfortunate childhood.

“He has gone out of control.”

Newman, who has been in custody since July 31, escaped jail but was given a 40-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, during which he will be the subject of a supervision order. He must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

His co-accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were each given a 12-month supervision order.