"She could be lovely but she could also be evil," an Amblecote man told police after they arrested him on suspicion of killing his "difficult" mother.

Jennens, aged 40, said he had been a carer for more than 10 years for his 78-year-old mother Hazel, who had a number of serious medical problems, and he said: "I can't cope. She is driving me mad."

He maintained it had never been his intention to cause her any harm on Christmas Eve 2015 and he said she had slipped out of his arms as he tried to frog march her out of the room following the row.

Jennens said he had got potatoes for their meal but his mother had told him they could not be roasted.

"She was very hard to please foodwise," he said - and he told her: "That is the last time you are going to speak to me like that."

He told the six-man six-woman jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court he panicked because he just wanted to get her out of the room at their home in Sorrel Walk.

It was a knee jerk reaction, Jennens - who has opted not to give evidence to the jury - told police officers.

He said he picked her up, turning towards the door, and the next thing she was on the floor - and he said: "I was just freaking out at the time. It was a momentary surge of anger. I loved her. I was completely and utterly defeated. I had tried to do everything."

The prosecution has alleged Jennens pushed or threw his mother to the floor.

She broke her hip and died in hospital just under a month later as a result of the injury.

Rachel Brand QC, prosecuting, alleged it was a deliberate assault and said Mrs Jennens was manhandled and that exposed her to risk.

It was violence by a son against his mother, claimed Miss Brand who said Jennens did not intend to kill her or cause harm but but she was a frail woman who was not in good health.

The trial continues - with the jury expected to retire to consider the evidence on Monday.