A company director attacked a 13-year-old boy and stamped on his mother's face because the teenager tore down his patriotic St George's flag decorations he had erected to commemorate VE Day. Andrew Morris, 44, grabbed the boy as he cowered in a bathroom before ripping a mobile phone out his hand and dragging him along the floor at their Greater Manchester home on May 9 last year. The graphic design expert, who was visiting the home to help put up the decorations, had been drinking heavily before he brutally beat up the boy's mother by knocking her to the floor and stamping on her neck and face. She was left 'dripping in blood' and later required eight stitches to a cut on top of her head, further stitches for a 4cm laceration to the back of her head and significant bruising to her right arm. Morris appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced having earlier pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage. He was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. Andrew Morris, 44, pictured outside Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday. He was handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage +4 Andrew Morris, 44, pictured outside Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday. He was handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage Morris, a company director, admitted he had been drinking heavily when he attacked a 13-year-old boy and his mother +4 Morris, a company director, admitted he had been drinking heavily when he attacked a 13-year-old boy and his mother The court heard that the incident took place 24 hours after the 75th anniversary of VE Day last year - marking the unconditional surrender of Germany and the end of World War Two. Charlotte Rimmer, prosecuting, told the court: 'The boy ripped down VE Day Bunting Union Flags, which the defendant had helped put up outside her home the day before to celebrate the event. 'The defendant was upset by his behaviour had an argument with the boy’s mother called her son "a little c***" and said his behaviour was disrespectful. 'He left the property but later came back, smelling heavily of drink. The mother spoke to the defendant and asked him to leave and offered to drive him somewhere. But he then became aggressive and then began to cry. 'He then pushed her to the shoulders causing her to fall to the floor. The next thing she remembers is being on the floor with the defendant’s foot striking her to the back of her head. The defendant stamped on her neck and to the right side of her face.' The court heard the mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, screamed for her son to lock himself in the bathroom and to call police. However, as the boy did so, Morris kicked the door down and ripped the phone from his hand. She described seeing her son being thrown to the floor before managing to grab a drunk Morris as he fell down the stairs. Morris, of Heaviley, Stockport, eventually slumped out of the property. Morris pictured outside court in a suit with a cigarette in hand. He has also been ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was made subject to a restraining order from the mother and son +4 Morris pictured outside court in a suit with a cigarette in hand. He has also been ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was made subject to a restraining order from the mother and son Morris became furious after the boy threw a tantrum and tore down VE day decorations, the court heard +4 Morris became furious after the boy threw a tantrum and tore down VE day decorations, the court heard A neighbour described the mother and son as 'very upset, crying and shaking'. Morris was arrested at his father's property the following day. Rachel Shenton, defending Morris, said in mitigation that he 'fully accepts this was wholly unacceptable violence which should never have happened'. She added that he had 'expressed remorse' by writing 'heartfelt' letters and Morris is 'a good man who did a bad thing on one occasion'. Passing sentence, Mr Recorder Carwyn Cox said: 'The ripping down of the bunting was the trigger for all this but on that evening, you were out of control, you completely lost all common sense which you usually have. 'It was a terrifying incident for anyone let alone a young 13-year-old boy but I accept this was wholly out of character and that it was a one off event. You are remorseful and you have taken some steps to address your behaviour.' On top of the suspended prison sentence, Morris has also been ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was banned from contacting the mother and son indefinitely under the terms of a restraining order.
The University of Sussex professor who resigned from her post after sparking student protests over her views on transgender issues has claimed that some of the colleagues she worked alongside stoked the row that led to her quitting.
Kathleen Stock, 48, a professor of Philosophy at the University of Sussex, had faced angry calls to be sacked last month by students at the university following accusations of transphobia after she said people cannot change their biological sex.
Speaking for the first time about resigning from her post of twenty years on BBC Woman's Hour today, the academic said she still holds the view that 'trans women aren't women' and 'trans men aren't men' - but said these views are 'compatible with protecting trans people'.
She called her departure from the English university 'completely humiliating' and 'a defining moment in my life' but said she had 'no regrets' about leaving and stood by her views that female-only spaces should be protected.
Stock said returning to campus to retrieve her belongings was an 'anxious' experience and that she even felt anxious getting the train to the Woman's Hour studio, saying 'my life has changed completely'.
First interview: Professor of Philosophy Kathleen Stock, 48, resigned from the University of Sussex last month after students called for her to be sacked for her views on transgender people - she told Emma Barnett on BBC's Woman's Hour that a small group of colleagues had 'radically misrepresented' her views on gender
Stock suggested the views of a small number of academics who were against her inflamed the student protests by 'radically misrepresenting my views', saying: 'I don't know if the student activity would have been there if the colleague activity hadn't already been there.'
In the 30-minute interview on Radio 4, she described how 'intense' student activity came at the end of 'three-and-a-half years of low level bullying, harassment and reputation trashing' by colleagues, which began, she says, when she first started to write about gender identity policy.
Instead of debating her views directly with her, she said some staff had mobilised students against her during lectures.
She explained: 'There's a small group of people who are opposed to what I say and instead of getting involved in arguing with me, using reason, evidence, the traditional university methods, they tell their students in lectures that I pose a harm to trans students. Or they go on to Twitter and say that I'm a bigot.'
She told Barnett 'feeling unsafe doesn't mean you are unsafe' and she hopes the students realise 'the world is not as hostile towards them as they think it is'.
Posters put up in the tunnel from Falmer station to the university's campus earlier this month said she 'makes trans students unsafe' and 'we're not paying £9,250 a year for transphobia'
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour Emma Barnett, Stock said returning to campus to retrieve her belongings was an 'anxious' experience
The professor said she had 'no regrets' about leaving her role and stood by her views that female-only spaces should be protected
The feminist professor, who identifies as a lesbian, said that she first became aware of the complexities of the trans rights movement when she saw 'men' on lesbian dating websites.
When asked by the Woman's Hour host if by 'men' she meant 'trans women' she replied: 'I don't know what they were' explaining that physically some had an appearance traditionally considered as masculine but 'with female names'.
She explained: 'The categories are changing in radical ways and "lesbian" is one of them. There's real pressure on lesbians to accept that trans women can be lesbians and I think that has made lesbians of this in a way that straight people aren't necessarily as aware.
'There isn't the same pressure on straight women or straight men.'
She went on to say she was 'ostracised' while working at the university and faced a 'terrible anxiety dream' seeing her name plastered on posters across campus reading 'Stock Out' and 'Stock is a Transphobe'.
Stock added: 'The narrative about me is so far away from what I think I am.'
The academic also said that she's 'happily' taught trans students throughout her career and has been contacted by them following her resignation and that her book is not a threat to trans and non-binary people.
In a letter to staff issued on Friday, University of Sussex's Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell said they had 'vigorously' defended Professor Kathleen Stock's right to 'exercise her academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech, free from bullying and harassment of any kind'
Despite the University saying they would not sack Stock, and 'vigorously and unequivocally' defending her right to academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech, free from bullying and harassment, she decided to leave last week.
'So they're creating an atmosphere in which the students then become much more extreme and much more kind of empowered to do what they did.
'I'm not saying that they intentionally set out to cause this point but I do think that academics are treated by students as role models quite often,' she explained.
'If you're in a class as a student, and your lecturer is saying, look, "there are some views that are just beyond the pale that should never be debated" .
'Then automatically as soon as you say something that makes you bigot.
'You just have to go on to Twitter and see who has said this.
'This is a a small number of people who really are quite extreme. In departmental meetings, people radically misrepresent my views, saying things like, "Oh, she thinks all trans women are rapists. Or she she's a bigot. She's awful, she she doesn't like trans people"'.
'And all of this is totally false. But I am increasingly powerless to change the narrative myself.'
Last week, Kathleen said she will be leaving her job after 'an absolutely horrible time' and 'a very difficult few years'.
Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch backed the professor and told the Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme she is 'appalled' at the way the scholar has been treated.
Announcing her departure on Twitter on Thursday, she wrote : 'This has been a very difficult few years, but the leadership's approach more recently has been admirable and decent. I hope that other institutions in similar situations can learn from this.
'Am particularly glad to see University emphasising that bullying and harassment anyone for their legally held beliefs is unacceptable in their workplace.'
Professor Stock is an expert in gender and sexual orientation, had been branded a 'transphobe' by some outraged students who called for her to be fired in wake of her comments on gender.
Posters put up in the tunnel from Falmer station to the university's campus earlier this month said she 'makes trans students unsafe' and 'we're not paying £9,250 a year for transphobia'.
Banners saying 'Stock Out' had also been held alongside burning flares and scores of people were criticising her online under the Twitter hashtag #ShameOnSussexUni.
The University's Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell had strongly defended her 'untrammelled' right to 'say what she thinks', whilst more than 200 academics from other universities signed a letter calling out alleged abuse from 'trans activist bullies'.
But on Friday, Professor Stock announced on Twitter that she was 'sad to announce' she is leaving her position, and added that she hoped 'other institutions can learn from this'.
In a letter to staff, Sussex's Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell said that the university had 'vigorously' defended her right to 'exercise her academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech, free from bullying and harassment of any kind'.
But he added: 'We had hoped that Professor Stock would feel able to return to work, and we would have supported her to do so.
'She has decided that recent events have meant that this will not be possible, and we respect and understand that decision.
'We will miss her many contributions, from which the University has benefited during her time here.'
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