Musician was attacked outside Blackpool pub venue

Nicholas Shorrock, 43, of Boundary Street, Blackpool, had denied causing grievous bodily harm to guitarist George Hillier outside Gillespie's Bar on Topping Street in Blackpool, but was found guilty by magistrates after a trial.

The father-of-four's case was committed to Preston's Sessions House Court for him to be sentenced.

Mercedeh Jabbari, prosecuting, said Mr Hillier had been in the bar on April 5 last year at around 10.30pm when he spotted the defendant and his girlfriend, whom he had had issues with in the past.

She said: " He decided to approach them and speak to them about any issues they may have.

"When they went outside, Mr Hilliers effectively said if they had any problems they should not bring it to his workplace.

"During that conversation the defendant punched the comp in the side of his head on his ear, causing him to fall to the floor.

"The next thing he recalled was members of staff from a nearby restaurant assisting him to his feet, and this defendant and his partner left the scene.

"He was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and when he arrived he was seen by a doctor. The doctor noted a 3cm laceration to his left ear, going through the cartilage. It had to be stitched and he had to be seen in the ENT clinic."

The court heard in an interview Shorrock, who has 24 convictions for 47 offences, denied causing the injury, claiming all he did was push him to the ground.

Richard Archer said probation officers thought the case was suitable for a community order as the offences was 15 months ago and he had not offended since.

Recorder Katherine Pierpoint said: "You went with him outside and he asked you not to bring problems to his workplace.

"At that point you, unprovoked, punched him.

"In doing so you split the top of his ear. The injury was unpleasant."

She ordered him to pay Mr Hillier £150 compensation and imposed a curfew.

Later the same year, the same venue became a scene of tragedy when popular Blackpool mum Lisa Chadderton, 44, who was planning to open it as a new business venture, was tragically murdered by her partner.

The mum, who was planning to run the premises with partner Mark Tindill, was found strangled and stabbed in the flat above it on November 27.

Tindill, 56, is now serving a life sentence for her murder.