A BURNLEY hairdresser was jailed for two months by Blackburn magistrates for an unprovoked attack on a pub landlord.

The court heard that Michael James Dalby ran into the Stork Hotel, Simonstone, and punched publican Ian Gee from behind. He believed his seven months pregnant girlfriend had been manhandled as she was ordered out of the pub earlier but this turned out to be a story being exaggerated "in the telling".

Dalby, 22, of Peel Street, Padiham, pleaded guilty to assault. Wendy Chappell, prosecuting, said Mr Gee was in the pub chatting to his wife and father.

Unknown to him, his wife had earlier that evening ejected Dalby's girlfriend and his mother.

"All of a sudden, Mr Gee found himself on the floor having fallen across a table and he felt considerable pain in the left hand side of his face," said Mrs Chappell. "He realised he must have been hit and as he looked up he saw the defendant being ejected by pub regulars."

Mrs Chappell said Mr Gee's father had been facing the door when Dalby ran in and punched his son from behind and again as he went down.

As he was ejected Dalby shouted; "Nobody throws my mother out."

When interviewed by the police he said he had heard that Mr Gee had manhandled his pregnant girlfriend although he had later found out that wasn't the case.

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said Dalby and his girlfriend, who is due to give birth in May, had gone to his parents home and he and his dad had gone to the Conservative Club for a drink and his mother and girlfriend had gone to the Stork. They were asked to leave, and did so quietly.

"The events in the Stork were relayed to my client but, as is often the case, the story got better for the telling."