A ROUGH sleeper kicked off after his friend was told to leave a taxi office where they were getting an early morning brew.

Blackburn magistrates heard Connor Hargreaves punched the plastic covid protection screen and then punched the receptionist.

Blackburn magistrates heard drivers in the office were able to detain Hargreaves until the police arrived.

Hargreaves, 23, of Oakenhurst Road, pleaded guilty to assaulting Tariq Hussain and criminal damage to a plastic screen. He was made subject to a community order for 12 months, fined £50 and ordered to pay £50 compensation.

Graeme Tindall, prosecuting, said Mr Hussain was working early in the morning when two men who he knew had accommodation difficulties came into the office of Arcade taxis. One of them got a cup of coffee from the machine and was then asked to leave because of covid restrictions.

"That was when the defendant became involved," said Mr Tindall. "He punched the plastic screen and then punched Mr Hussain.

Peter King, defending, said the offence went back to May of last year when his client was a rough sleeper. He had slept on Darwen Street and he and others in a similar position often obtained their first hot drink of the day from the machine in Arcade Taxis.

"The staff there where happy to let them do that," said Mr King. "The circumstances on that day were different and his associate got into a verbal argument with staff. My client accepts he became involved and behaved inappropriately."

Mr King said his client had not been in trouble since the incident.