A teenager who punched his father during a row then kicked the family TV and repeatedly punched a bathroom mirror.

At Carlisle's Rickergate court, Nathan Phillip Salt, 18, of Springkell, Aspatria, pleaded guilty to a common assault on his father Mark and two counts of causing criminal damage.

Police were called out just before 7pm on September 22 after a family member called to say that Mr Salt senior had been assaulted, suffering a burst lip, said prosecutor Pam Ward.

Mark Salt had left the address and when he returned found that the bathroom mirror had been smashed.

It was later confirmed that Nathan Salt had punched it over and over again after assaulting his father, said Mrs Ward.

The prosecutor said that the defendant had asked his father for money and he refused.

The teenager said his father had made comments about other family members, annoying him.

At this point, he said, he had stood up and punched his father in the face before running out of the room and into the bathroom. He said he had been drinking since 2pm, and had shared a half litre bottle of vodka with his friends.

As he rushed from the living room, he aimed a kick at the TV.

John Smith, for Salt, said the teenager had been celebrating his birthday and the day after he had had the argument with his father.

The lawyer, who observed that he thought the case should have been dealt with by way of a caution, said: "There was a single blow to his father, and Nathan is then restrained, I presume by his friends.

"He then breaks free and exits.

"As he leaves, he kicks the TV. "Since then, the television is still not working. Nathan had previously got a television in his room and that is now the family television.

"The mirror has been replaced, and Nathan has paid half the cost and plans to pay the other half when he can get some money together.

"He's back living with his parents and everything seems to have been sorted."

Magistrates imposed a 12 month conditional discharge, with a £20 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

There was no compensation because father and son have been reconciled. The chairwoman of the magistrates commented: "It was a domestic assault on your father - not the best person in the world to pick on."