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A starving child had to eat hamster nuts and dog biscuits in a decade of bullying, physical attacks and cruelty by his matriarchal mother, a court heard.

Andrew Copley was beaten on a daily basis by his mum Christine, now 65, it was claimed.

Exeter Crown Court heard that the assault and ill treatment against Andrew went on for 10 years from the age of five to 14.

A jury heard Christine Copley was "a matriarch" who was ‘aggressive and a bully’.

Prosecutor Lee Bremridge said: "Andrew was regularly hit, kicked and bullied by his mother.”

Mr Bremridge said a family friend commented that "Andrew was the saddest little boy I have seen".

The prosecutor said on occasions Andrew was forced to stand outside his house naked at night.

(Image: PA)

And he was locked into a stair cupboard and "left there despite banging on the door".

The jury heard that Andrew lived with his parents and his three brothers in a three bedroomed house in Exeter, Devon.

The court heard the house was "in a disgusting state" with dogs "roaming free" downstairs in their mess.

Mr Bremridge said as the starving boys grew up there was "very little food".

He said Copley though would eat "crisps and chocolate she kept for herself". He said Andrew ate "nuts from the hamster food and dog biscuits because he was so hungry".

The Crown said the boys would get Christmas presents but within two weeks the gifts would have been sold at car boot sales by Copley.

The same thing happened if they received birthday presents.

(Image: Irving of Exeter)

He said at school he was bullied because he "stank" because of his smelly old clothes and shoes that he had to wear.

Neighbours were shocked by the state of their house and witnessed Andrew being dragged around the garden by the arm by his mother, who hit him around the head.

Andrew was seen with bruises on his body and arms when he took his shirt of in the garden in the sunny weather.

The court heard Social Services were contacted - and written to by a concerned family GP - but Mr Bremridge said they gave the "impression they were not really interested".

He said he had to lie to the authorities and say what his mother told him what to say if he wasn’t to get another beating.

Another family friend became concerned about what was happening and said: "Copley was controlling and cruel to her family and particularly Andrew, he got the worst of it.”

The court heard Andrew "would always answer back when she got him to do something" and in one incident she "grabbed him by his genitals and squeezed tight pulling him to the floor and he was crying out in agony".

The court heard if he and his younger brother were naughty Copley would grab the and lock them in a cupboard under the stairs.

Andrew said his earliest memory was when he was five and Copley grabbed his wrist and shoved it towards a lit fire which was "hot but not enough to burn him".

Mr Bremridge said: "Andrew’s childhood was as sad as it was bleak.”

He said he was also whipped with a dog lead after being stripped naked and told to sit on a chair.

Andrew told the jury she hit him with a wine bottle and punched his face on his 14th birthday and he ended up in an Exeter hospital where the incident was recorded.

Before his 15th birthday he was hit with a dog lead and put outside the house, before he ran away.

His youngest brother Damian said his brother was beaten regularly. Andrew, now in his 30s, went to the police in 2013 to tell them about being "regularly bullied, ill treated and assaulted by his mum", said Mr Bremridge.

Copley was sat in a mobility scooter at the back of the court. In police interviews Copley denied the allegations.

Copley denies seven charges of cruelty to a person under 16 between July 1983 and July 1993.

Her trial continues.