A SON denied claims he had slapped his mother to the head, demanded she buy booze and called her a vile name.

But magistrates found in favour of Wiltshire Police, who had applied for a domestic violence protection order stopping Bernard Docherty, 47, from contacting his elderly mum for the next 21 days while she stays in a care home.

Officer Claire Heathcote told the Swindon justices that police had been called on February 27 to the Downtown home Docherty shares with his mum.

She had gone to the Co-op, telling staff members her son had sworn at her, slapped the back of her head and demanded she go to the shop to buy alcohol.

When police went to the Docherty’s home they found Bernard in his bedroom upstairs watching TV. His mum had no visible injuries.

Ms Heathcote said police had received 33 reports of the mum having been assaulted, although none of these had led to charges being brought.

Docherty contested the police application. Asked by the courts clerk if he accepted the allegations against him the Wiltshire man replied “100 per cent not”.

He said his mum had dementia and struggled to remember things that had happened two minutes ago. He said she was verbally abusive.

On the night police were called he had cooked a Thai red curry and shared a bottle of wine with his mum. He had then gone upstairs to watch the TV as he wanted some space. He said he was unaware his mum had gone to the shops.

Docherty, a man of previous good character, was his mum’s primary carer.

Magistrates found on the balance of probabilities they were satisfied an incident had taken place at the family home. Chairman of the bench Michael New told Docherty: “That’s not saying you did anything wrong. It’s saying on the balance of probabilities something happened.”

The order will last for 21 days and prevents him from contacting his mother. If she returns home from the care home within the next three weeks he must move out until the end of the order.