Her son killed his friend.... and she tried to help him evade justice

The mother of a man has admitted trying to stop police from retrieving a mobile

Michael Pearson was jailed for over seven years after being found guilty of killing his friend, Scott Akester, after punching him in the face at a pub, causing him to fall and hit his head. He fractured his skull from the fall and passed away in hospital.

After the attack, Pearson searched on Google for "manslaughter sentence" before trying to get rid of his phone, which was found in a 'damaged state'. And his mother, Joanne Pearson, has now admitted to trying to prevent the police from seizing a mobile phone during the investigation.

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Hull Crown Court heard it was unclear who caused the damage to the phone, HullLive reports.. But, in court yesterday, Joanne Pearson pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after lengthy discussions with her barrister, Charlotte Baines.

The case has been adjourned for a pre-sentence report and she was granted bail until the next hearing in April.

Judge John Thackray KC warned her: "The offence is very serious and you could well face a custodial sentence." During an earlier hearing, a previous charge against Joanne Pearson of assisting an offender was withdrawn.

The prosecution outlined during Michael Pearson's original trial that he punched Mr Akester in the face at the Grandale pub, Sutton Park, in Hull. After being asked to leave the pub just before midnight, Pearson and his brother were seen walking near shops.

Pearson punched Mr Akester, causing him to hit his head on the ground hard and suffer a fractured skull. He passed away at the hospital from brain swelling and bleeding.

Following this, Pearson searched on