A FATHER has appeared in court after he assaulted a man and his mother in front of his pregnant wife and son.

Andrew David Cafferkey landed himself in court after he assaulted his neighbour following the dispute in Windermere.

South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court heard the 45-year-old had been visited by his neighbour in his block of flats and threw a punch at him in the argument.

Cafferkey, of Craig Walk in Windermere, pleaded guilty to assaulting Russell Bowden and his mother Linda Bowden by beating them.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre said: “The parties live in a block of flats together.

“The complainant went to the defendant’s property to speak to him about an earlier incident between the complainant’s wife and him.

“That seems to be the catalyst for the incident.

“When he confronted the defendant the defendant punched him in the head and he fell to the floor.

“The defendant started pushing him towards the stairs saying ‘get off my property’.

“The complainant’s mother told him to calm down and the defendant pushed her.”

The court heard the defendant had no previous convictions.

Representing himself in court, Cafferkey told magistrates he had had not slept since becoming a new father at around 3am on the day he appeared in court.

“I should have conducted myself in line with the law,” he said.

“I acted purely in self defence. I’m sorry. I thought he was trying get in my property.”

He said his pregnant wife and child were nearby at time of the incident.

Magistrates sentenced Cafferkey to 150 hours of unpaid work for the assaults.