Fleetwood dad admits attacking his son with a hammer in paranoid drunken rage

David Clarke, 45, of Kemp Street, Fleetwood, burst into the bathroom of their home on the evening of August 20 last year

Prosecuting, Verity Quaite said the raging dad ordered him to "open the f***ing door" and shouted: " I'm going to smash your head with this hammer" before barging in and attacking him.

A younger teenager tried to help the victim as Clarke shouted get out of my f***ing house.

The victim suffered injuries to his hips and lower back and attended A and E, but medcis found he had no fractures.

Police arrested Clarke the next day and he made no comment.

Miss Quaite added: "This could be deemed to be a highly dangerous weapon. There has been a substantial impact psychologically and emotionally on the victim.

Clarke, who has three convictions for four offences including battery in 1996, admits causing actual bodily harm.

In a victim impact statement the young man, who moved in with his grandma after the attack, said he was "frightened to death" of his dad, who he had also worked with, and didn't think he could trust him again.

But defending, David Traynor said: " I am instructed that relations have been restored. He is now living in his own accomodation but they are in touch.

"Mr Clarke has sorted out his alcohol and drug use.

"He is a working man in a full time, strenuous job.

Recorder Michael Blakey imposed a community order with a rehabilitation requirement.

He said: '' The victim was in fact your son and you, simply because you were in drink or drugs, became paranoid about your girlfriend, thinking your son had something to do with her, and you let rip with a hammer causing him injury.

"Fortunately he managed to get away. Goodness knows what would've happened had he not - you may have been in the dock here for far more serious offences.

"Your pre sentence report indicates how embarrassed and ashamed you are about how you behaved on that occasion and how sorry you are about what you did to your son.

"What is pleasing is you recognised the difficulties you labour under and you, for the last 12 months, have been clean and sober in that you sought help from your GP and also had help from a substance misuse team."

He made a deprivation order for the hammer.

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