A VIOLENT offender barred from seeing his own mother - the founder of Helen and Douglas House - has been spared jail after he flouted that order and went to her home.

A court heard yesterday that Kojo Ritchie breached the 'non-molestation order' because he was homeless and had been told he was 60th in the queue to house rough sleepers.

The 32-year-old of no fixed abode has dozens of previous convictions to his name for offences including headbutting his ex-partner and stabbing an individual in the leg.

He also previously caused grievous bodily harm twice to his adoptive mother, Sister Frances Dominica, who founded Helen and Douglas House hospices in East Oxford.

READ AGAIN: Court tells Sister Frances’s son to stay away from her.

Ritchie is now subject to a court order put in place in December 2018 to protect her from further violence.

He appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court yesterday to admit one count of breaching that order.

Outlining the case prosecutor Dana Patel said he went to his mother's address and told her he had been sleeping rough on the streets.

He was later arrested inside the address for breaching the order.

She added that police were 'very concerned' for the elderly victim, who has suffered two previous violent attacks by him.

READ AGAIN: Adopted son of hospice founder who thumped his friend with a champagne bottle is jailed.

In mitigation at the hearing Ritchie's defence barrister Richard Demczak said that his client's mother, a nun, had 'felt sorry' for Ritchie when he came to her door.

He added that Ritchie had been 'sofa surfing' until the outbreak of coronavirus when he was told 'it's no longer an option to sleep rough.'

Mr Demczak said that his client's only option was to go back to his mother's house and that he had been placed 60th on a list for accommodation.

It was later revealed that following further enquiries a place at Floyds Row could be made available that day.

Sentencing, District Judge Kamlesh Rana said: "In sentencing you I give you credit for your guilty plea.

"Had it not been for the current crisis you would have been going to prison because of your record. It is a very serious record for offences of this nature."

Ritchie was handed a 10-week jail term suspended for 12 months and he must pay a £122 victim surcharge.