A prominent East Lancashire businessman who was the man behind an NHS ‘thank you’ festival that never happened, attacked his wife and her son twice, and strangled her brother-in-law.

Richard Quinn, who was the chief executive of the now dissolved Q Entertainment, Arts and Sport, attempted to organise a weekend festival headlined by disco pioneers Nile Rodgers and Chic as a celebration of how people came through the coronavirus crisis and as a thank you to key workers.

However, the festival, which was supposed to be staged in June 2021, never happened, and just six months later in February 2022, Quinn married his wife after meeting her in lockdown, and they moved in together with her son at a terraced home in Great Harwood.

READ MORE: One big thank you: Good times as festival brings Nile Rodgers and Chic to East Lancashire

Preston Crown Court heard how in October 2022, the relationship, which had been fraught with difficulties, came to a head when Quinn arrived at the property and an argument ensued.

Catherine Ellis, prosecuting, said his wife confronted him about messaging another woman and asked him to leave.

She said: “He became aggressive and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the floor.

“Her son heard the commotion and came downstairs and saw the defendant had hold of his mother and tried to intervene, but the defendant punched him in the face.”

Ms Ellis said they managed to get Quinn out of the property but in doing so his wife’s son, who was 18, was punched again and matters spilled out on the street.

Ms Ellis continued: “His wife was hit again between the eyes and fell to the kerb.”

CCTV played in court showed how a neighbour tried to stop the fracas, but Quinn continued with his attack.

When he was arrested on October 15, Quinn denied any wrongdoing and was granted bail.

However, the court heard that on October 26, while on bail, Quinn attended his wife’s sister’s home and strangled her partner, an incident which was caught on a Ring doorbell camera.

Ms Ellis said: “He grabbed him and swung him into the garden fence and grabbed him round the neck.”

Two months later, on Christmas Day, and still on bail for the original offences, Quinn turned up at his wife’s house and began tapping on the window.

Ms Ellis told the court that as she went to open the back door, Quinn shouted, “I have lost everything because of you”, before he launched into another attack, punching her to the floor and stamping on her face.

He then iterated, “this is my justice”, before punching her son, grabbing some cash from the kitchen and leaving.

Ms Ellis went on: “That same evening he sent messages to his wife’s brother-in-law telling him he was going to prison, and threatening to torch his house over some money that was owed to him.”

Police arrested Quinn again in January after he had checked into a flight at Heathrow Airport, and he was remanded into custody.

Quinn, 56, formerly of Blackburn Road, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault, intentional strangulation, sending malicious communications, and a further assault charge.

By way of mitigation, Kevin Batch said his client was an industrious man who had worked in construction for some time, including in Africa, and intended on returning there upon his release to carry out some charitable construction work.

He said: “He is shameful and regrets his actions and is remorseful. He acknowledges it was frightening and unacceptable to the persons involved.”

Quinn was jailed for three years and four months and handed a restraining order in respect of his victims.