AN estranged couple met on Mill Hill railway station after she travelled by rail from Lancaster to Blackburn.

Blackburn magistrates heard their brief encounter ended in violence with Kelvin Ashley Parkinson threatening to throw her on the tracks before ragging her around by her hair after she refused to give him money for drugs.

Parkinson, 34, of Melbourne Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to assault and two charges of breaching a restraining order. He was jailed for 40 weeks for the offence and a further 26 weeks for breaching a suspended prison sentence order.

Suzanne Ludlow, prosecuting, said the restraining order was only made in September at the same time as the suspended prison sentence was imposed. He had failed to attend his induction appointment and had only turned up once since.

She said that on the day of the assault the victim had travelled by train to Mill Hill and they met on the station at 8.20 pm. He asked her for money for drugs and when she said no he got mad.

"He threatened to throw her on the tracks and then dragged her around by her hair," said Miss Ludlow. "The following day he contacted on a withheld phone number, which he was prohibited from doing by the restraining order. She later received a Facebook contact from him which was also prohibited."

Damien Pickup, defending, said his client was aware of his non-compliance and that he had committed new offences very soon after the suspended prison sentence was imposed.

"He knows what is likely to happen," said Mr Pickup.

He said his client was adamant that he had moved on from the relationship. He had a new girlfriend and was working intermittently with his brother.

"He says the complainant turned up out of the blue after finding out about his new relationship," said Mr Pickup. "He says she was shouting at him and he accepts that in the heat of the moment he took hold of her.

"She travelled 25 miles from Lancaster to Blackburn to see him and he says the breach came to him rather than the other way round," added Mr Pickup.