A MAN was subjected to an unprovoked street assault after his alleged attacker threatened to kill him, a jury was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Peter Lord suffered eye injuries after he was thumped by Craig Thripp, 36, on Newchurch Road, Stacksteads.

The defendant, who told the court he accepted he caused the injury to the victim, claimed he thought he was going to be "jumped on," or hit and "just threw a punch."

Thripp, of Bridge Street, Waterfoot, denies assault causing actual bodily harm, last June.

The court heard claims that a member of Mr Lord's family was said to have made threatening phone calls to a relation of the the defendant.

Thripp told the court as he and some of his family pulled up in a car at a pizza shop, one of them pointed out a man and said he was the "bloke" who had been making threats.

The woman pointed out a "big fella with a bald head," said he was responsible and Thripp got out of the vehicle and said he was going to have a word with him.

The defendant said the bald man knew he was going to say something to him, he asked the man what was going on and the next thing, the man took a swing at him.

The defendant said he hit out and might have connected with the man's head or a wall.

Thripp claimed the man was trying to hit him and then the man threw himself on the floor and curled up.

Proceeding