A Canterbury mum threatened to kill her son’s foster parent after attempting to drag him away at a school fete.

The 38-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, screamed abuse at the woman, who had been looking after her son since he was taken into care.

Neil Sweeney, prosecuting, said the defendant had arrived at the fete in June last year and friends had told her that her son was there.

The woman approached the boy and asked him to come to her, but when he refused, she grabbed his arm and began to pull him towards her.

Mr Sweeney said: “He had frozen and said he was scared. As his foster parent came over the defendant began to be abusive. She said ‘you think he is your son, but he’s not your son, I will kill you’.

“The foster parent was frightened and upset.”

Defending, Robert Quinn said the mother had become “emotionally fraught” by the situation.

“My client saw her son and went to hug him, as any mother would,” he told Canterbury Magistrates Court.

“The foster parent was frightened and upset" - Robert Quinn

“A stranger started to walk away with her son and that was a horrific feeling for her. She was scared, upset and emotionally fraught.”

He added that the incident was “unlikely to be repeated”.

The mother had denied using threatening behaviour to cause fear of violence but was convicted in her absence.

She attempted to have the conviction cancelled, claiming medication she is taking made her forget her trial date, but the request was refused.

She will be sentenced at the same court on February 27 after the preparation of probation reports.