A man hit his partner’s ex across the face with a knuckleduster in the midst of a custody battle, a court has heard.

Lee Green, of Berridge Avenue, Burnley, struck Jeffrey Kay after coming across him while walking through the park.

Prosecuting, Andrew Evans told Preston Crown Court Green is in a relationship with Sue Wilson, the ex-partner of Mr Kay and mother of the children they share.

Mr Kay and Ms Wilson were in a custody battle for the children when Green decided to strike Mr Kay with a knuckleduster.

The pair got tangled up twice, firstly on August 7, 2021, while Mr Kay had been out buying the children football shirts at Turf Moor.

Green, 35, came across Mr Kay and the children and called him a ‘fat pr*ck’ before Mr Kay said not to start anything in front of the children.

Green pushed his hand into Mr Kay’s face, with Mr Kay reminding him ‘not in front of my kids’.

Three days later, on August 10, Green and Mr Kay came across each other while walking their dogs in a park.

Green approached him, saying ‘big boy’s here, I’m going to f***ing kill you’.

Mr Kay said it was clear Green was under the influence of some kind of substance.

He said to Green, ‘I don’t want to fight you, the police will be dealing with you’.

Out of nowhere, Green grabbed a knuckleduster and struck Mr Kay to the face, by his eye, and laughed before running away.

Mr Kay was heading home when he was stopped and told that his face was covered in blood and was a state.

He went to the hospital where they treated the wound and a suspected fractured eye socket – Mr Kay is left with a scar.

Mitigating, James Heyworth, said at the time of his client's attack, tensions were ‘high’ due to a custody battle going on in the family courts.

“The only reason these two men have any relationship at all is that they have been partners of Sue Wilson," Mr Heyworth said.

“The tension within that relationship was always high with the ongoing family court proceedings.”

Mr Heyworth also said Green has abstained from alcohol since the incident and that there is a ‘realistic chance of rehabilitation’.

Sentencing, District Judge Paul Healey said there was no option but immediate custody for Green.

Green, who pleaded guilty to assault by beating, wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon, was jailed for 27 months and a restraining order has been put in place.