COUNTY DURHAM MAN JAILED AFTER VIOLENT CHRISTMAS DAY ATTACK ON FAMILY
John Bostock, a 46-year-old man from no fixed abode in Trimdon Station, was involved in a violent incident on Christmas Day where he punched and strangled his father, John Snr, during family festivities.The court heard that after his father went to fetch more beer and found it was gone—suspecting his son had already drunk it—he challenged Bostock, who "completely lost his temper" and began screaming, shouting, punching his father, and throwing objects around the room.
During the assault, Bostock's sister Marie intervened and was also assaulted, and Bostock then grabbed his father by the throat and "squeezed hard." The father feared he was going to die at the hands of his son.
Bostock then threatened family members with a knife, assaulted his father again two days later, and was arrested.
He was previously jailed for two months for assaulting his father.
He was sentenced on July 25 to an additional 21 months imprisonment for his actions involving actual strangulation, threats with a knife, and assault by beating, leaving his family "traumatised by the events of Christmas Day— a day that should have been a time of celebration," according to the judge.
The court also described a long history of trouble with the law, including assault convictions going back to 1996, and prior incidents such as brandishing an air rifle.
The victim's statement expressed a desire to keep his son away from him, and family members described Bostock as a "lovely brother when he's not drinking," but also as a potential danger who "will end up killing someone or himself without intervention."
