A MAN launched a "severe and unprovoked" attack on his ex-wife and one of her friends during a night out in Accrington, a court heard.

Joseph Houston, 35, of Dall Street, Burnley, admitted assaulting former wife Sandra Ann Houston and her friend Janice Esther Cooper outside Lar-de-Dars nightclub.

Hyndburn magistrates heard the attack was so frightening that the women were left cowering in a phone box until police arrived.

David Hartley, prosecuting, said the attack took place after Houston and the two women got a taxi from the Walmesley Arms, in Great Harwood, to Accrington.

Mrs Houston said she noticed her ex-husband was quiet and guessed he was in a bad mood.

The group was dropped off outside Lar-de-Dars and Houston said he was going home.

His ex-wife said she would go too, as she did not want an argument. She said she walked a few yards and Houston grabbed her by the jacket.

He punched the back of her head as hard as he could.

Houston then slapped Janice Cooper across the face as hard as he could and the two women fled into a telephone box.

Houston tried to force open the phone box but the women managed to call the police.

Houston was arrested and admitted the attack, which left his former wife with bruising and a cut to her ear.

Duncan Nightingale, defending, said Houston, a worker at Slinger's in Great Harwood, got on well with his ex-wife, who did not want compensation for the attack.

He suggested the offences could be dealt with by a conditional discharge.

But chairman of the bench David Keeley ordered that pre-sentence reports be prepared and said: "This was quite a severe and unprovoked incident."

Houston was bailed to March 20 on condition he lives at Dall Street, stays out of Accrington and does not approach Janice Cooper.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.