AN attacker who smashed the nose of a man he claimed had sexually assaulted him has been jailed for 21 months.

Lee Dunn, 21, set about Thomas Eccles in his own home, leaving him with facial injuries, including a broken nose, and putting him in hospital for three days.

Mr Eccles, said to have ‘homosexual preferences’, told police he thought Dunn, who he had known for about three years, was his friend.

He remembered nothing about the beating until he came round, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Dunn also got involved in a street melee in which a family was con-fronted by a knifeman as it made its way home from a funeral. He had not been long out of prison.

He had an ‘extensive’ record for offences, including violence and a judge told him he had an ‘escalating appetite for violent misconduct’, the court heard.

Recorder Roderick Carus, QC, said the attack on Mr Eccles was ‘cruel and persistent’ and had caused him physical and emotional damage.

He said the defendant’s initial reac-tion to Mr Eccles’s alleged behaviour was understandable.

He added: “But the beating you handed out to this unhappy individual is unacceptable.”

Dunn, of John Street, Brierfield, had admitted affray and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

David Macro, prosecuting, told the court last October, Dunn had been on police bail for the affray when he assaulted Mr Eccles.

The defendant, who had been drink-ing heavily, was later interviewed by police, made no comment, but gave a prepared statement.

Mr Macro said in June, Stephen Ainsworth and his family had been walking past the Lord Nelson pub in Nelson at about 9.45pm, after attending his mother’s funeral. They were approached by a man who said to Mr Ainsworth: “Give us a snog.”

Mr Ainsworth replied ‘no thanks, mate’ and the man threw a glass at him and hit him on the forehead. The pair then struggled and fell to the ground.

Dunn appeared and started kicking and punching Mr Ainsworth on the legs. The other man, who then ran off, had a ‘carving knife’ with him.

Martin Hackett, for Dunn, said he had been on remand 239 days and had taken advantage of every course that had been offered to him.