Rawtenstall man jailed for assault after ‘sexy beast’ quip (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Rawtenstall man jailed for assault after ‘sexy beast’ quip

10:38am Monday 5th December 2011 in Rawtenstall By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

A MAN who attacked a friend after he claimed the victim called his partner a ‘sexy beast’ and groped her, has been jailed for seven months.

Neil McAthey, 35, claimed Matthew Grimshaw said to him: ‘Where did you get her from? She’s a sexy beast'.

Mr Grimshaw was said to have deliberately fallen over after he had been drinking and put his hands on McAthey’s partner’s chest.

The defendant then hit him three or four times, Burnley Crown Court heard.

McAthey, of Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, had earlier admitted assaulting Mr Grimshaw, who has learning difficulties, causing him actual bodily harm, on June 2.

He was also in breach of a court sentence. A trial over the facts had been heard, after the prosecution claimed the defendant kicked Mr Grimshaw's dog and for no reason attacked the victim.

Judge Simon Newell said he would base sentence on the defendant’s version of events.