A ROW over loud music spilled into violence when a ‘pillar of the community’ snapped and threw his neighbour down a flight of stairs.

Terence Whalley, 56, had complained to police and the local council about drug taking and anti-social behaviour from his neighbour Raymond Clements at the flats they shared in Blackburn, but no action had been taken.

At around 8.30am on New Year’s Eve, Mr Clements started playing loud music from his top floor flat, while Whalley was trying to sleep after working a night shift, Preston Crown Curt heard.

Whalley went upstairs to ask Mr Clements to turn it down, but when he saw his neighbour had a hammer n his hand, he grabbed hold of his with both hands, dragged him from the flat and pushed him down the first flight of stairs, the court heard.

He then headbutted Mr Clements twice to his face causing the neighbour to fall to the floor, where Whalley kicked and stamped on him.

Mr Clements retuned to his flat but five minutes later, Whalley’s son-in-law, Christopher Lewarne, 32, went upstairs to confront him.

He pushed his way into the flat, picked up a mountain bike and smashed the sound system from which the music had been blaring out.

He then punched Mr Clements knocking one of his teeth out and left.

The court heard Mr Clements had lived in the block of flats, where both Whalley and Lewarne lived with their families, for about three years and there had been ongoing problems with noise and drug taking.

The court heard neither of the men have any previous convictions for violence and both were described as ‘working, family men’ who ‘snapped’ on December 31.

Mr Clements suffered two black eyes, a broken nose and fractures to his cheek and jaw in the attack.

He underwent surgery on January 8 and had to have metal plates and mesh inserted into his eye socket.

Whalley pleaded guilty to wounding and Lewarne admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm for their roles in the attack.

Recorder Michael Blakey, sentencing, said: “It s clear that Raymond Clements was in fact a nuisance to both of you and your families.

“He lived at the top floor of the flats where both of you reside in Blackburn.

“In relation to both of you, the level of violence, or indeed violence itself, is completely out of character.

“It was, as far as you are concerned Terence Whalley, a severe attack on what it would seem was a defenceless individual who didn’t fight back.

“It may be there was some provocation that resulted in the attack that you launched on the victim in this case.

“This was a serious assault on this individual causing him serious injuries.

"It was a sustained attack.

"Not only did you throw him down the stairs, you then used your head as a weapon and your feet as weapons to cause serious damage.”

He said Lewarne’s involvement was a single blow, although Mr Clements must have already been injured by the attack by Whalley, when he struck.

Whalley, of Denville Road, was jailed for 18 months and Lewarde, now of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn was handed a six month sentence suspended for 18 months with 100 hours unpaid work and £250 compensation o be paid to Mr Clements.