A MAN was punched and kneed in the face after he refused to look after his neighbour’s two children.

Burnley Crown Court heard how victim Jonathan Radford had gone to his neighbour’s house in Bacup at around 7pm on November 3. Also in the property was defendant Steven Lee Shaw, 29, of Newchurch Road, Bacup.

Prosecuting Anthony Parkinson said: “He described there being tension between all four adults in the property. The defendant asked him to look after the occupant’s children so they could all go out drinking in Bacup. Mr Radford refused to do so. He left the property after various comments were made.”

The court heard how Shaw, a roofer, followed Mr Radford out of the house and attempted to trip him up.

There was then a fight between the two men in which Mr Radford was punched in the face twice. A letter was knocked out of Mr Radford’s hand and when he knelt down to pick it up he was kneed and kicked in the face by Shaw.

Mr Radford went back to his property but between 8pm and 9pm he heard knocking on his front door.

He saw the defendant at the front of his house and when he went to the window Shaw tried to drag him out. But Mr Radford pushed him back and Shaw fell back onto a Honda Jazz belonging to belonging to Mary Saunders, causing £200 of damage.

Shaw, who is a father-of-three, pleaded guilty to assault by beating, criminal damage and breaching a suspended sentence.

The court heard the latter offence referred to a six-month suspended prison sentence Shaw was given for possessing cannabis with intent to supply. As part of the sentence, which was suspended for two years, Shaw had to do 100 days' unpaid work and a 15-day rehabilitation. But he failed to attend appointments on November 2 and November and didn’t provide a reasonable excuse.

The court heard that since breach proceeding had been taken against him Shaw had cooperated well with the probation service. But he had been stopped from doing his unpaid work because he had broken a finger and the charity he had been working at had stopped him from going back for insurance reasons.

Defending, Philip Holden said his client had a chequered history with the probation service and it would be harsh to send him to immediate custody because of failures on their part.

Recorder Thomas Ryan imposed a six-month curfew and order Shaw to pay £100 compensation to Mr Radford and £200 to Ms Ms Saunders.