A FATHER and son carried out a violent attack on a woman after their family had suffered prolonged provocation, a court was told.

David Ronald Todd and his teenage son David John Todd struck Collette Walsh days after she was released from jail for intimidating the defendants' wife and mother.

Todd senior, aged 45, and his 17 year-old son, both of Benson Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to two charges of actual bodily harm assault following the incident on Sunday August 13 last year.

The father was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for two years, with 18 months supervision. His son, who had no previous convictions, was ordered to do 180 hours unpaid community work.

Preston Crown Court was told Collette Walsh had been arrested for witness intimidation, sent to prison and released the Wednesday before the assaults occurred.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said the defendants went to a house in Brookway, Blackburn, where Miss Walsh was present.

A man called David Pilkington was assaulted in a bedroom.Collette Walsh fled the house. The defendants then found her in the street. She said she was knocked to the ground and then kicked.

Kath Johnson, defending the father, said the incident was the culmination of a long and protracted neighbour dispute, with the defendants suffering "extreme anguish".

"The defendant's wife was threatened that if she went to court she would be killed," said Miss Johnson.

The assaults arose after the Todds believed Collette Walsh had been to their house, shouting abuse. Charles Brown, for the teenage son, said he was generally a decent young man.