AN ex-convict who attacked his partner in crime left him with an injured eye and blurred vision.

Burnley magistrates heard how Leon Cragg, 29, hit his accomplice in the face in a detention room at Burnley Police Station. He later hit him several more times and headbutted him.

Cragg and Mark Wilkinson had been shoplifting together and had fallen out over who was to blame.

The defendant, of Nuttall Street, Burnley, admitted assault, theft and failing to surrender. He was given a six months community rehabilitation order.

Mercedah Jabbari, prosecuting, told the court Cragg and Wilkinson had been in Asda, Burnley, and each had pinched a jar of coffee. They were arrested and taken to the police station.

But in a detention room, Cragg walked past Wilkinson and struck him in the face.

The following day, Wilkinson told the defendant he had been out of order and Cragg flew at him, hit him several times and headbutted him. Police had to separate the men.

After their release, Cragg turned up at his Wilkinson's home with a wooden bat and shouted: "Do you think you're hard? Come out and fight."

Miss Jabbari said the next day Wilkinson made a complaint to police. Cragg, who has 43 previous convictions, was taken to the police station but claimed he had acted in self defence.

Mark Williams, defending, said Cragg and Wilkinson were blaming each other for the thefts. They had a fight, Cragg walked off and when Wilkinson stopped and turned to face the defendant, he accepted he punched him again.

Cragg's record was almost exclusively for dishonesty and he was not a violent person. He did have a drug problem over the last few years, had been to jail many times and had spent the best part of a week in custody.