A GRANDDAD punched his son three times after he "flipped" over a slamming door caught by the wind.

Ray Kirkby appeared before Furness Magistrates' Court yesterday and was described as a dominant and threatening man whose wife was scared of him.

Kirkby, 67, of The Headlands, Askam, admitted assaulting Ian Ray Kirkby on May 18.

Mr Andrew Travis, prosecuting, told the court: "The victim in this case is the defendant's adult son, aged 42. For the last two years he has been living back with his parents. During this evening the defendant was quite tetchy and started swearing and shouting in front of his two grandchildren who were visiting. He got the two children and left the premises and stayed at a friend's house.

"Early the following morning he came back to get some clothes for the children and noticed his mother wasn't sitting in her usual chair. He asked her what was up and she said 'he's back.'

"His father came back in the room and swore, telling him to get out of the house and began shouting and swearing at him and his mum, Linda. A door slammed after being caught by the wind and he flipped.

"He punched his son three times and they called the police.

"When he had left the night before he had become argumentative with her and she had called the police. They decided not to detain him but take him to see the crisis team at Furness General Hospital. When he got in he sat in her chair, which was unusual.

"They said he was very dominating and threatening and his wife was scared of him. He had raised his hand to her on many occasions."

Mr Andrew Gallagher, defending, said: "This man has never been before the courts before.

"He has had mental health issues for the last 10 years and after his initial arrest I don't understand why he wasn't interviewed with an appropriate adult. The police had taken him to hospital the previous night.

"His illness means things build up and he just explodes. The last time this happened was three years ago. When he went to the hospital the crisis team told him there was nothing they can do and he was sent home and that lead to this incident.

"He is now a voluntary patient at Dane Garth."

Magistrates gave him a 12-month conditional discharge and told him to pay £85 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

They refused to make a restraining order as requested by the prosecution as it would exclude him from his own home.