‘I see the devil in you,’ Northampton man shouts as he beats son with spear, court hears

A man has walked free from prison after beating his 29-year-old son with a metal spear in their family home in Northampton.

It was 11.30pm on March 22 earlier this year when 54-year-old Paul Harris barged into his son’s room armed with a spear, Northampton Crown Court heard on Tuesday, July 11.

Harris proceeded to hit his son five times on his shoulders and back, leaving him covered in bruises and cuts.

The victim described Harris as having both hands on the weapon and “swinging it like a baseball bat,” prosecutor Emma Fielding told the court.

“I know what you are ******* doing,” the defendant shouted at his son, “You are an evil son of a *****. I see the devil in you.”

Harris, of Northampton Road in Blisworth, told his son to leave the house before threatening to kill him, the court heard.

The victim, in a statement, said that the ordeal left him feeling “hollow,” “vulnerable” and “intimidated.” He described his father as being “unpredictable” and becoming violent at any given moment; as a result, he “no longer feels safe.”

“This makes me feel on edge whenever I am in the same property as him. I don’t feel I can reason with him and he just turns to violence,” he said.

He added that his father’s behaviour had a negative effect on the whole family and they consequently had to move out of their home.

Harris was interviewed by police on April 21 and answered ‘no comment’ to all questions, except to admit that the metal spear was in his house.

The 54-year-old has seven previous convictions for 18 offences dating back to the 1990s, including driving offences, dishonesty offences and - more recently in 2021 - possessing a prohibited weapon and common assault.

Harris claimed that, on the night of the assault, he just “snapped” due to “increased paranoia,” according to a pre-sentence report.

The defendant pleaded guilty to assault at Northampton Magistrates Court on April 22.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane sentenced Harris to a 12 month community order. During this time, he was ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

A three year restraining order was also imposed between the defendant and his son.