A FATHER of five involved in a fracas in Accrington town centre, has been jailed for three months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Dominic 0'Sullivan, 42, had taken hold of a man's lapels and had been agitated after earlier being set upon.

Sentencing him, Judge Raymond Bennett said O'Sullivan had backed the man up for 20 or 30 yards saying he wanted a result and, said the judge, he had taken that to mean either an apology or there was going to be violence.

He told the defendant he hoped the next time, if there was one, he would walk away. 0' Sullivan, at the time living in Oswaldtwistle and more recently of Eccles, had been convicted of affray by a jury.

Howard Baisden, prosecuting, said the defendant's conduct was visible on a CCTV video of the melee. 0'Sullivan later said he was out for a fight.

Sara Dodd, defending, said 0'Sullivan was not the aggressor. At the beginning of the incident, he had been set upon by one man, possibly two and acted in self -defence. He had been held by the throat and that might explain why he was agitated and heated as he was pushing another man. He had been out of trouble for more than 20 years and then, for no reason, became involved in the offence.

Miss Dodd added tht the defendant had been in custody since the end of the trail earlier this month. He had not committed any further offences since the trouble in November 1999. O'Sullivan had been banned from the Accrington area under bail conditions, which meant he had lost contact with his family and the proceedings had put a great strain on the relationship he had had at the time.

The defendant's mental health was quite fragile at times. However angry or irate the defendant had been, he had not been seen to punch or use any violence. He might not be in court if he had not been set upon by somebody else.

Miss Dodd added the remand in custody had had any salutory effect that it was going to have on the defendant, who had been in drink. On his release, he wanted to go home to Ireland.