A ONE-time murder suspect has walked free from court after injuring a man who claimed he owed him cash.

Burnley Crown Court heard Adam Taylor's victim David Holmes had tried to take his bicycle but the defendant gashed his victim with a pocket penknife in a tug of war over the bike.

Taylor escaped jail after Judge Barbara Watson said despite his conviction for a fairly similar offence, he had acted very much out of character.

She added Taylor had made a determined effort to sort out his life and make himself a productive member of society.

Taylor, 24, of New Bath Street, Colne, admitted wounding and was given 200 hours community punishment.

John Wilson, prosecuting, said Mr Holmes saw Taylor riding his bike in Leeds Road, Nelson, and stopped to speak to him.

Taylor felt himself pushed into the kerb by the complainant's car, fell off his bike and some keys dropped out of his pocket, among them a small penknife.

A tug of war followed over the bike and it appeared Mr Holmes started to put it into his boot.

Mr Wilson said the defendant picked up the keys and tried to grab Mr Holmes. He accepted he wounded the victim but did so unintentionally.

The police and ambulance were calld and Mr Holmes was found to have suffered a moderately deep wound to his arm. Taylor was arrested and admitted he had caused the injuries as Mr Holmes was trying to take his bike.

Mark Stuart, defending, said Taylor had in the past been charged with murder but the proceedings against him had been dropped.

There was a world of difference between those who went out looking for trouble and those who were found by it..

The defendant had borrowed a guitar from the complainant but they had lost touch with each other. Taylor never returned the guitar or paid Mr Taylor for it.

Mr Stuart said it was a matter of conjecture whether Mr Holmes deliberately knocked the defendant off his bike or whether he fell off.

Mr Holmes thought it might be a good idea to take the bike and take the defendant to the nearest cash point so the money could be returned

The barrister said Taylor's keyring had a number of keys on it and also had a knife with it.

The defendant did not want his bike to be taken, was annoyed, picked up his bunch of keys and struck Mr Holmes.

Mr Stuart said by and large Taylor was a shy and quiet person and after a variety of dead-end jobs had sorted himself out.

He was on a painting and decorating and plastering course and if he lost his liberty would not be able to go back to it.