A FORMER Parliamentary candidate attacked and injured his lodger after coming home drunk from a night at the pub, a court was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how milkman Paul Wright, 48, the then chairman of the Burnley Liberal Democrat party, was said to have lunged towards Joseph Madden and tried to punch him after a heated row.

He told the jury police arrived like the "Seventh Cavalry," and added:"I couldn't understand how all of them turned up that quick." Wright, who has also stood several times for the party in local elections, was Liberal Democrat candidate in the General Election of June 2001, coming third behind Labour's Peter Pike with just under 6,000 votes.

But the court heard how he was said to be like a kind of deranged man -- in a good mood one minute and then "extra murderous," the next.

The defendant was alleged to have claimed he could kill someone with his bare hands and that he was a hard man, the jury was told.

Wright, who holds a police commendation and who was hoping to join the Special Constabulary, denies assault causing actual bodily harm, last October.

The court has heard claims Mr Madden ended up suffering cuts to his face after the alleged assault at Wright's home in All Saints Close, Burnley, where he had lived for eight months.

The defendant was said to have been very drunk and was alleged to have been deranged and threatening and to have attempted to hit his lodger.

Giving evidence, the defendant told the jury he was an "old style Liberal."

He said he had been to the Manor Barn to take part in a pub quiz and to see the barmaid - the "lovely Amy." He said he was not drunk as he had to get up early for his round the next morning.

He said the claims that he had said he could kill and was hard were "ridiculous."

Wright said he had told his other lodger it was time he found somewhere else to live, things got heated and Mr Madden entered the room and said there was no need for "all this."

Wright said Mr Madden pinned him to the door and then went upstairs to get his things. The defendant said he followed him to "smooth things over," but Mr Madden was packing.

He told the jury Mr Madden "just launched" at him.

Asked by Tim Storrie, defending: "Had you done anything that had caused him to do that?" Wright replied: "No."

The defendant said he finished up in plant pots near the door of the house with the alleged victim on top of him as they struggled.

Wright said if Mr Madden got cut, he did so when he was trying to push him off, but he was amazed he was hurt.

(Proceeding)