A man assaulted a Blackburn shopkeeper with a broom after he refused to buy a mobile phone from him. 

On July 27, Alan Marshall went into a shop in Bank Top and tried to sell a mobile phone to the shopkeeper.

The victim refused to buy the phone from Marshall, believing it might be stolen.

Marshall then threatened the shopkeeper, armed himself with a broom and struck him to the head.

The shopkeeper suffered a two-inch cut to the head, which required five staples to close.

Marshall was chased out of the shop by the victim and ran straight in front of an oncoming car, which was turning onto Pump Street.

When the driver of the car asked Marshall if he was ok, he ran off. The driver then went into the shop to check on the victim and, noticing he was injured, called the police.

Marshall handed himself in at Blackburn police station a short time later and was arrested on suspicion of assault.

Marshall, 32, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to wounding without intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

He appeared at Preston Crown Court on October 5 and was jailed for 15 months.

DC Tom Farrell, of East CID, said: “This was an appalling offence committed against an innocent man just trying to do his job in serving the community. I know the community were rightly outraged by this offence.

“I want to reassure the public that we take offences like this extremely seriously and will do everything in our power to put the offenders before the courts.”