BERNARD Kilroy reached the end of his tether with a neighbour, whom he claimed had tried to sell him drugs and made sexual advances towards his partner, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Kilroy 'snapped' and attacked Martin Kelly as he stood at his front gate.

He punched him repeatedly to the head during an attack which Mr Kelly thought had lasted about five minutes.

He did not know why the attack had stopped, but remembered waking up in the ambulance on his way to hospital.

When Kilroy was later arrested, the knuckles of both his hands were cut and his clothing was blood-splattered.

Kilroy, 32, of Mosley Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assault. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £100 compensation.

Teresa Feeley, prosecuting, said when police went to Kilroy's home after the incident he had one hand wrapped in a towel and there was blood on his clothing and face.

He told police he was going to break Kelly's neck the next time he saw him.

When interviewed, Kilroy said Kelly had consistently tried to sell him drugs and had made unwanted sexual advances to his partner.

Ian Huggan, defending, said Kilroy had previous convictions for drug-related offences, but had not been in trouble since 1995.