THE mother of a young man cleared of assault has spoken of the 10 months of misery the family has undergone since he was charged.

Sue Eden, 52, was in Liverpool Crown Court with family at the end of a trial in which her son James, from Orchard Hey in Eccleston, was found not guilty.

James Eden, 23, faced a charge of assaulting a man in St Helens on May 5 last year, and had always denied the allegation.

He walked away with his name cleared after a not guilty verdict.

The mother of three said: “It’s been dreadful.

“At the end of a trial you don’t know if they are going to believe you or give out a five-year prison sentence, which it could have been.

“I am not bothered about what people say, but many have turned their heads away since this started.”