A COMPANY boss who had been on a four day bender assaulted his wife and then threw a coping stone through her car widow spraying their five-month-old baby with glass.

Blackburn magistrates heard that earlier Andrew Farrington's 18-year-old son had ended up fighting with his dad as he tried to stop him assaulting his step-mum, Felicity Bennett.

Enza Geldard, prosecuting, said the 49-year-old eventually carried the couple's daughter out of the house and put her in the car as Mrs Bennett tried to get away from her raging husband.

Farrington, who also uses the name Bennett, of Preston Road, Longridge, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mrs Bennett.

He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months with a nine months alcohol treatment requirement and ordered to pay £350 compensation and £115 victim surcharge. He was also made subject to a restraining order for two years.

Mrs Geldard said Farrington had called his wife from the Ribchester Social Club and asked for the pin number for the business account.

She gave it to him and went back to sleep but was woken about an hour later by the sound of smashing glass.

"She got up and was confronted by the defendant demanding to know why she had locked him out," said Mrs Geldard. "He tried to grab her but she was protected by his son Dylan and the two men ended up fighting in the garden.

"At some point the defendant grabbed Mrs Bennett by the throat and punched her on the nose."

The court heard Mrs Bennett eventually fled from the house to her car.

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At some stage Farrington jumped onto the bonnet of the car and started punching the windows.

She reversed away and he fell off and when she set off again she hit him on his legs, the court heard.

Dylan brought the five-month-old child out of the house and she was put in the car.

Mrs Geldard said: "As Mrs Bennett drove back past their house the defendant threw a stone slab at her car causing the windows on the passenger side to shatter."

In a victim impact statement Mrs Bennett said her husband had been intoxicated for nearly five days at the time of the incident. He was violent and aggressive and she feared for her safety.

Mrs Bennett said she no longer wanted any contact with her husband.

"He has taken it too far this time, putting my baby's life in danger," she said.

Richard Prew, defending, said his client had always maintained and it was accepted as part of the basis of plea that his client was not aware the baby was in the car when he threw the coping stone.

"He accepts that his drinking has become a problem," said Mr Prew.

He said that when his client was hit by the car he was thrown into the air and was unconscious for some time.

"He wasn't best pleased and accepts that he threw the coping stone," said Mr Prew.

He said Farrington had set up a glazing business which now employed seven people and had £250,000 worth of business waiting to be completed.