A 36-year-old Blackburn man said to have psychiatric issues "flipped" when he felt an elderly lady had insulted his aunt at her pub.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Christopher Hughes threatened the lady and then launched an unprovoked attack on his aunt's partner when he tried to intervene.

The court heard the assault happened in June, before Hughes was arrested while threatening to throw himself off a motorway bridge, which led to him being charged with causing a public nuisance and being jailed for 40 weeks at Preston Crown Court.

Hughes, of Oban Drive, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting Carl Duckworth. He was sentenced to 14 days in prison which will not extend the sentence he is currently serving.

Pat Bramley, prosecuting, said the incident had taken place in the Fox and Grapes on Preston New Road, run by Sandra Maher, the defendant's aunt.

Hughes was in the pub from 4 pm with his brother and family. He was still there when his aunt locked the door at 11 pm. She was talking to a lady called Edna and Hughes thought the older woman said something inappropriate.