A man assaulted his partner's sister while he was on bail for assaulting a police officer in the A&E department at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Blackburn magistrates heard David Lee Cairney claimed he had not been able to take his prescribed medication because of a mix-up at the surgery and this had affected his behaviour.

Cairney, 35, of Mosley Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker, two assaults on the female and criminal damage to her phone.

He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for two years with 30 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 120 days Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement. He was ordered to pay £320 compensation to the woman and £200 to the police officer.

District Judge Alexandra Preston said the video footage of the attack on his partner's sister had "disgusted" her.

"You assaulted her and when she walked away you chased after her and assaulted her again," said District Judge Preston. "You knocked her to the floor and while she was there you kicked her to the head."

She said the police officer had been doing his best to help the defendant.

"You behaved violently towards him and you did that in the A&E department where people were being treated.

Graeme Tindall, prosecuting, said the officer was at hospital trying to keep Cairney, who was receiving treatment, calm.

"It sems the defendant took exception to the officer only being 23 years old and told him to respect his elders," said Mr Tindall. "He got so wound up that he head butted the officer and then kicked him to the side of the head."

During the assaults on his partner's sister, she was kicked to the head and punched.

She tried to walk away but was wearing flip-flops and he caught up with her before she reached her mother's home. He punched her to the back of the head and when she fell to the floor punched and kicked her several times.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client accepted the custodial threshold was crossed and the question was whether it could be suspended.

"I would submit that more work could be done with him in the community than in prison," said Mr Price.