A SWINDON man threatened to stab his brother and also assaulted his mother after a disagreement over a game, a court has heard.

Christopher Simon Paul Newbold punched his brother three to four times on the side of the head after the argument over “brotherly type things”, Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday (June 27).

But when their mother went to split them up, she was assaulted too.

Prosecutor Tom Power told the court that the defendant shouted that he was going to stab his brother and that he was “going to get a shank”.

Matters then calmed down before the 27-year-old started “stabbing at the bedroom door”, it was heard.

Representing himself, Newbold had little to say about the allegations, only that he agreed with the application made by the prosecution for a restraining order.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting his brother and criminal damage, but had been convicted of assaulting his mother in a trial in his absence.

Sentencing, District Judge Joanna Dickens said that the offences are “serious matters”, while she understood there had been a strained history in the family.

“Any kind of domestic violence is quite serious,” she told Newbold.

“Looking at the background which I’m not going to say anything about in open court, it sounds like there’s some very difficult things that have happened to you, and it sounds like there’s been a lot of difficulties, but you’ve got to get on top of your temper one way or another, or you’ll end up in prison.

“You’ve got a good job at the moment and you don’t need that.”

District Judge Dickens imposed a 12-month community order on Newbold, of North Street in Old Town, which will see him complete 15 rehabilitation activity days and 60 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay a £95 victim surcharge and a £100 contribution towards the prosecution costs.

A one-year restraining order preventing him from attending the family home was also imposed.

But, the district judge said that if he wanted to reconcile with his family that could take place away from that address.

She also said she would have made the order longer and imposed more unpaid work, but that she wanted to keep Newbold away from meeting other offenders.