Blackburn baseball bat attacker is spared jail (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Blackburn baseball bat attacker is spared jail
8:44am Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News
A 39-YEAR-OLD man took the law into his own hands after a woman threatened his daughter and other children with a baseball bat.
Blackburn magistrates heard Michael Edward Baron assaulted the woman and her partner after storming round to confront them.
Baron was told he was lucky not to be going to jail and warned he would face 32 weeks in prison if there was any repeat in the next 18 months.
Baron, of Fowler Height Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting Charlie Jackson and her partner Jason Harrop.
He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months and must pay £100 compensation to each of victim. District Judge Peter Ward allowed an existing suspended sentence order to continue and warned him of the penalty if he breached the orders.
Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Miss Jackson had been given information that some children had assaulted her daughter and went out to remonstrate with them.
“They were abusive and swore at her,” Miss Allan said. “She got hold of a baseball bat and chased them. She said she did it to frighten them a bit.”
Miss Jackson was dealt with by way of a penalty notice for her behaviour.
Mr Harrop had just got home when Baron came banging on the door. “He was extremely aggressive and demanded to know why Miss Jackson had chased his daughter with a bat,” Miss Allan said. “He was very angry and punched Mr Harrop in the face before slapping Miss Jackson.”
Michael Blacklidge, defending, said: “He followed his wife to Miss Jackson’s home and after a great deal of pointing and remonstration from both sides he accepts he struck them both.”
He said the suspended sentence was imposed following an assault on a taxi driver who he thought had insulted his wife.
Judge Ward said it was obvious Baron was making progress in the way he behaved and he was prepared to impose a second suspended prison sentence and let the existing one stand.
