A WEAPON-WIELDING man and his step-son launched a savage attack on their defenceless victim after he reprimanded a teenager for fooling around in a snooker hall, a court heard.

The assault on Neil Honeyman was described as unwarranted and vicious by prosecuting barrister Sam Andrews during the opening of a trial at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Mr Andrews said Michael McQuade, 37, and Liam Morrison, 17, were responsible for the serious injuries suffered by Mr Honeyman during the alleged attack 18 months ago.

Mr McQuade and Mr Morrison, both from The Meadows, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, deny charges of affray and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The jury was told that Mr Honeyman had been playing snooker with a friend at the Rainbow Leisure Centre, in Coulby Newham, when a youth distracted them.

Mr Andrews said Mr Honeyman spoke to the youngster, but shortly afterwards was warned by Mr Morrison: "If you don't leave him alone, I'll get Mick McQuade to sort you out."

It is alleged that Mr McQuade, armed with a hammer, and Mr Morrison returned to the leisure centre where the older man knocked over tables and chairs and demanded to know where Mr Honeyman was.

Mr Andrews said staff were terrified and called the police, but the pair had left in a car driven by Mr Morrison's mother before officers arrived.

The Crown alleges that Mr McQuade and Mr Morrison found Mr Honeyman at some nearby shops and subjected him to a beating with the hammer and a baseball bat as he lay helpless on the ground.

Mr Honeyman also claims he was repeatedly kicked in the head by Mr Morrison and then dragged to his feet by Mr McQuade who bit his face, leaving his lip hanging off.

The pair were arrested hours later, but insisted they had not attacked Mr Honeyman.

But Mr Andrews told the jury that Mr McQuade made a phone call to Mr Honeyman a month later to try to "smooth things over".

Mr Honeyman was said to have had second thoughts about pressing charges because he was terrified, but eventually decided to go ahead with the case, said Mr Andrews.

He said Mr McQuade told him: "Listen bonny lad, we are the McQuades and you don't f*** with any of us. We get what we want. We take what we want. If we have to take a life to get what we want, we will."

The case continues today.