By Pam McClounie

Last updated at 09:48, Saturday, 28 April 2012

A man who kicked and headbutted his mother’s partner leaving him needing emergency surgery has been jailed for two years.

Mark Parrish, 30, of Mill Hill, Cleator Moor, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on farm worker Reuben Roberts on November 22 last year.

Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told Carlisle Crown Court that Parrish had returned home after a night out drunk.

He became abusive and threatened Mr Roberts, who was at home with Parrish’s mother, Susan. He was waving a syringe around. He grabbed Mr Roberts by the scruff of the neck and head butted him near the left eyebrow.

Mr Rogerson said: “Mr Parrish’s brother Chris heard the commotion from upstairs and ejected his brother from the house into the garden.

“Outside Parrish continued to swear and shout and began throwing five gallon drums of creosote and diesel around. He came towards Mr Roberts, who had gone outside to make sure diesel didn’t spill from the drums, and kicked him to the right eye.

“As a result of the kick Mr Roberts was bleeding for quarter of an hour.

“Mr Roberts was found to have a displaced fracture to the right cheekbone. He needed an operation under general anaesthetic and had to have a titanium plate fitted via an incision in his scalp.”

Greg Hoare, for Parrish, said: “This is an unfortunate, difficult and problematic case.

“It is somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde situation where when my client is free from drink he is a perfectly reasonable man and a pleasant person, but when he starts to drink his personality ebbs away and he becomes a volatile individual.”

Mr Hoare said Parrish had taken steps to address his drink problem. He said he had a problem with “fragile mental health.”

Judge Peter Hughes QC said: “Mr Roberts continues to suffer problems with his eyesight affecting his ability to work.

“The consequences of your conduct has been to cause difficulties in the relationship between Mr Roberts and your mother.”

“This was a sustained and repeated assault with the use of your shod foot. You did not plead guilty at the first opportunity but you did plead guilty before trial.”

He jailed Parrish for two years.

First published at 09:00, Saturday, 28 April 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk