Man took two hammers to defend his girlfriend

John Beddow rushed home and got the weapons when he saw the trouble flare in a street in Grangetown, Middlesbrough, one night in June at 1.30am.

Beddow, 30, charged towards the man, but turned and ran when police arrived, Teesside Crown Court was told yesterday.

The self-employed window cleaner, of Avondale Close, Grangetown, confessed to officers after his arrest: "I would have clouted him."

He pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and was given a nine-month community order with supervision and unpaid work.

Judge Howard Crowson told Beddow: "You appear to have reacted to the misbehaviour of somebody else. . . you acted in anger. The sad fact is when people resort to this type of behaviour, things can escalate with horrible, tragic consequences and appalling injuries."

The court heard that Beddow had been out of serious trouble for ten years.

He was jailed in 2002 for false imprisonment and wounding.

The judge was told that that offence - for which Beddow received a four-year prison sentence - also involved an attack with a hammer.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said: "This is something of a one-off incident in his recent life. He reacted wrongly and went over the top.

"This was a knee-jerk reaction to seeing his partner laid on the floor while she was trying to protect their mutual friend.

"He is a man who ordinarily lives - with the benefit of maturity now - a law-abiding life. He has proved he is more than capable of that."

Beddow was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work for the community and pay £340 court costs.

Judge Crowson told him: "A lthough you have a rather unhappy record, you have managed to put it behind you and I don't want to deprive you of that continued ability to care for your family in the community.

"I take the view that you are capable of living in the community without causing greater harm.

"If you were to resort back to your old ways, that might not happen again."