A man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask took a hammer to a house party, punched a man while he was sleeping and dropped a TV on his arms, a court heard.

Kyle Poole, 21, and a second man went to a house in Accrington in the early hours of the morning on November 3, 2019, Sessions House in Preston was told.

Prosecuting, Holly Nelson said victim Cooper Nicholl, who had gone to sleep around midnight, was woken by being repeatedly punched in the face by Poole before being dragged to the floor where the attack continued.

Mr Nicholl, who then realised there were two attackers, was punched all over his body while the second man, who was said to have had a grudge against the victim, asked Poole to ‘pass him the hammer’ which was used by the second person to hit Mr Nicholl.

Another person at the Water Street house, James McGuirke, then tried to get the men out of the house – when he was attacked.

Miss Nelson said the two attackers left the house. Mr Nicholls also left soon after and said he saw Poole with the mask on top of his head at the end of an alley.

The men then ran at Mr Nicholls, who had gone back into the house, and started punching him again. They then took items from around the front room, including a TV, which they dropped on the victim's arms.

Defending, Mr Hugh Barton, spoke of how the incident was completely out of character for the defendant and that the attack was a ‘mistake’.

Mr Barton said: “This was a serious and unpleasant incident.

“This as wholly out of character and a terrible, terrible mistake.”

Poole, of Manor Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon in public and affray.

Judge Andrew Jeffries handed Poole a 10-month sentence suspended for 18 months on Monday but said if he came before the court again he would go to prison ‘no ifs or buts’.

He acknowledged Poole's lifestyle changes since the offences in the past 21 months. He has apologised several times to the victim, enrolled at college and become a father.

He said: “If you had been in front of me in December 2019 you would have got 10 months and you would have been going down the stairs.

“The man I am sentencing now is a more mature, better man than the 19-year-old.”

Poole has also been ordered to pay £300 compensation to the victim.