A DISPUTE over access to his girlfriend’s young daughter on Christmas Day saw a man draw a tyre iron from his vehicle and threaten the father of the child’s family.

The man – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – pleaded guilty to one charge of being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and a further charge of common assault when he came before magistrates in Swindon.

The court heard that arrangements had been made for the mother to see her daughter on Christmas Day to give the child her Christmas presents. So when the mother wanted to take the child out to the car to open the presents a dispute broke out between her and the father’s family and they tried to force her to leave.

The woman’s new partner had been waiting in the car for her to return, but when he saw her come out of the property upset he armed himself with a tyre iron and banged on the family door.

The man then spat in the grandmother’s face, before making an offensive gesture with his hand and wrist.

Pauline Lambert, on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, told the magistrates that the family had CCTV outside their property which had captured the incident on film.

But defending him Terence McCarthy said that his client had waited in the car until he had heard his girlfriend’s cries for help.

"He was aware of the nature of some of the family members and he grabbed the tyre iron which just happened to be in the car because he had to change a wheel when he had a flat tyre," he said.

He added that a member of the father’s family had armed themselves with a knife, but as this was inside the property it was not captured on CCTV.

He was ordered he carry out 250 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12 month community order during which he must also complete 20 rehabilitative activity days. He was further ordered to pay £50 compensation to the grandmother along with £85 in court costs.