A DRUNKEN father-of-two who beat up his wife turned on her 10-year-old son after the child tried to intervene, a court was told.

Engineer Philip Taylor, 26, had started his "prolonged and vicious" assault on wife Claire by hitting her with a frozen cottage pie.

He had fallen out with her after she chose to prepare the pie for tea instead of Cumberland pie which he preferred, Burnley magistrates heard Taylor, of Leavengreave Court, Whitworth, admitted two charges of assault and was told by the bench he would not be going to jail.

The justices said the boy and his three-year-old sister, who was also present, would suffer the long term effects of the emotional trauma they suffered.

They told the defendant they were looking at a high community penalty with alcohol and anger management.

Taylor was bailed until January 23, on condition he lives at Salisbury Avenue, Heywood, does not contact the victims or go within 500 metres of their home.

Bill Maude, prosecuting, told the court last Sunday the Taylor family had gone to a sports and social club and Mrs Taylor was concerned about the amount her husband drank.

The incident happened when he picked up the frozen meal, hit her, grabbed her clothes, pulled her towards him, banged her head against the extractor fan, grabbed her throat and dragged her around the kitchen whilst shouting abuse at her.

Mr Maude said Mrs Taylor told the children to go to the front door and bent down to pick up her handbag. Taylor then grabbed her again by the throat and pushed her backwards over the sink as the children looked on.

The prosecutor said at that point the 10-year-old hit Taylor over the head with the cottage pie and the defendant then threw his wife to the floor and turned around and grabbed the boy.

He smeared blood from the back of his head on the child's face, abused him and asked: "What have I ever done to you?"

Mr Maude said Mrs Taylor picked up their daughter, ran to the front of the house and the 10-year-old followed with the doorkeys. Taylor then hurled a freezer drawer at his wife, hitting her on the back, took the three-year-old and pushed the two victims outside.

He then put the little girl down, got hold of his wife around the neck, booted her legs from under her, kicked her and dragged her around by her coat.

Taylor pinned the 10-year-old to the floor and Mrs Taylor hit the defendant with her handbag and ran to her car. Taylor followed, grabbed his wife's hair and she put her daughter down and ran off. He chased her, threatening to kill her.

Mr Maude said Mrs Taylor and her son managed to escape to her parents and police were called.

David Leach, defending, said Taylor bitterly regretted his actions, was upset over losing his liberty and could not comprehend the magnitude of what he had done.