A 27-YEAR-OLD Accrington man punched his mother-in-law in the face as he tried to wrestle his six month old baby out of her arms.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Rosemary Altimas clutched the child to her chest to protect him after Mark Lee Kay came back to her house in a drunken condition and said he was taking him home.

But Mrs Altimas refused to let the child go until his mother returned and Kay was eventually forced out of the house by the protective grandma and another daughter, suffering injuries to his body in the process.

Kay, 27, of Beech Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assault. He was made subject to a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 compensation and £70 costs.

Mike Cunningham, prosecuting, said Mrs Altimas was looking after the baby while her daughter Annette and Kay went out for the evening. At about 11.10pm Kay returned alone and it was apparent he had been drinking heavily. Mr Altimas was concerned her daughter had not returned with Kay and when he said he was taking the child home she said he was not and held him to her chest.

Mr Cunningham said: "Kay took hold of the child's legs and tried to pull him away. During the struggle there was a punch which connected with Mrs Altimas. There was also a head butt which it is accepted was not deliberate."

Jonathan Taylor, defending, that while Kay and his partner were out he had been insulted by members of her family and this started an argument between the pair.

"He set off for her mother's house expecting her to follow," said Mr Taylor. "When it became apparent that she wasn't he decided to get the child and return to Accrington. His mother-in-law was not happy with that and he accepts that in the argument he lost his temper and struck her in the face."