A FAMILY engagement party ended in a punch up.

Blackburn magistrates heard company director Julian Wixted admitted punching the other man three times.

But Deanne McGinty, defending, said CCTV footage showed several other men assaulting the same man and it was impossible to say which attack had caused the injuries.

Wixted, 54, of Grafton Gardens, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assaulting Daniel McDermott causing him actual bodily harm. He was fined £846 with £85 costs and £84 victim surcharge. The magistrates said they were not ordering any compensation because they could not "categorically say" which injuries were caused by which person.

Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said Mr McDermott was at an engagement party at the Fence Gate Lodge.

"There was an incident when his sister Lucy approached him," said Mrs Yates. "Shortly after he decided to leave."

As he was going Mr McDermott tapped Wixted on the shoulder and thanked him for ruining the family do.

"The defendant lunged towards him and said he was going to kill him," said Mrs Yates. "He pushed him against a door and laid into him, punching him three times in the head."

Mrs Yates said other people got involved and Mr McDermott appeared to have been punched by other people after the incident spilled out into the vestibule.

She said Mr McDermott had been quoted £2,600 to complete the dental work he needed as a result of the incident.

In a victim impact statement Mr McDermott said he had been blamed for the incident and the subsequent family break-up had also been blamed on him.

Miss McGinty said her client, who had no previous convictions, had always accepted the three punches.

"He says the aggrieved squared up to him and he lost his temper," said Miss McGinty.

"He says he never connected with the other man's mouth. What is accepted is that there was blood in the vestibule where the second incident occurred.

"The other two men involved in that have never been charged."

Miss McGinty said her client was an honest, hard-working man who was disappointed with his actions on the night.

Wixted is a director of Accrington construction company McDermott & Son (Lancs) Ltd.