A THUG who attacked a visually impaired man and then threatened him with a knife has been jailed.

Burnley Crown Court heard how victim Samuel Thompson was well known to Oliver James Smith and he did not feel threatened when the defendant started putting his arms around him outside the Best-one convenience store in Padiham at 8.15pm on June 28.

Antony Longworth, prosecuting, said the mood changed when Smith put his hands around the victim's neck and then went behind Mr Thompson and pinned his arm behind his back.

Fearing for his own safety Mr Thompson punched Smith, 21, of Herbert Street, Padiham, in the face.

Mr Longworth said Smith and a second man, Camden Levi David Foulds, then set upon Mr Thompson, kicking and punching him.

At one stage 23-year-old Foulds, of Godley Street, Burnley, hit Mr Thompson in the face with a shoe which he said had fallen off Smith's foot. That blow knocked out one of Mr Thompson's teeth.

The victim was then knocked to the floor, where he continued to receive kicks and punches.

It was when Mr Thompson, who is blind in his right eye and has 70 per cent vision in his left, got back to his feet that Smith put the knife to his chest and told him not to ring the police.

As a result of the attack Mr Thompson suffered severe swelling above his left eye and bruising all over his face.

The court heard that the incident happened one month after Smith had produced a knife during an altercation.

That incident happened shortly after 2.30pm on May 9 when victim Jordon Acker was stood with his girlfriend Chloe Barker outside a block of flats in Edgeworth Street, Burnley.

The couple saw three men approaching them, one who Mr Acker recognised as Smith who said: "Are you Jordan Smith? I'm John Smith's son and you have robbed morphine from my dad's house."

Mr Longworth said Smith then pulled a large kitchen knife from the waistband of his trousers and pointed it at Mr Acker.

When Ms Barker attempted to intervene Smith pushed her into a door, saying: "I don't care if you're a girl. I'll knock you out. Don't you know who I am?"

When Mr Acker tried to intervene one of the other men in the group pushed him back with a baseball bat.

Smith, who received an ASBO when he was 15 after terrorising Padiham resident with his drunken abusive behaviour, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating, possessing a knife, threatening another with a knife and a section 4 public order offence.

Defending, Peter Warne said his client had attempted to make positive changes in his life after being released from prison after a burglary conviction but struggled to cope when his father became ill and returned alcohol and drugs.

Judge Ian Leeming QC sentenced Smith to 28 months in custody.

Foulds pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the attack on Mr Thompson at an earlier hearing. He was sentenced to 16 months in custody but it was suspended for two years.