Sunderland man beat stepfather with bronze knuckle duster because he wouldn't let him stay at his home

Dylan Geldard attended the address in the early hours of May 24 whilst the victim was getting ready for work.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that when his demand to let him and a friend stay was denied, Geldard became physically violent with his step-dad.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters told the court: "The complainant was at his home address when at 5:45am he heard a knock at the door.

"He went downstairs and saw the defendant outside. The defendant greeted him with 'I'm staying here'.

"He demanded his friend who was also present with him stayed at the address."Ms Masters told the court that his stepdad let Geldard inside but told him he wasn't going to be staying, before the 20-year-old began to swing punches in his direction.

Geldard was pinned down and appeared to stop his attack momentarily, but he soon attacked the victim again, punching him twice to the head whilst wearing a bronze knuckle duster.

The police were contacted and attended after Geldard had left the property, however, he returned a short while later which led to the officers being called again by the complainant before an arrest was made.

The court heard that the victim went to South Tyneside hospital where he was treated for two cuts to the head and to soreness to his lower back as a result of the assault.

Geldard, formerly of Earlston Street, Carley Hill, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and a count of criminal damage after also he broke a window of the address whilst he was stood outside.

He was also in breach of a community order after admitting causing fear of unlawful violence in October last year, which included threatening to blow an ambulance up at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Laura Miller, mitigating, told the court: "He doesn't instruct me to address any excuses on his behalf.

"He has very little recollection of why he attended his step father's address or what led to this assault upon his stepfather and his property.

"Mr Geldard had been, that day, informed by his ex-partner he was not the father of the baby she was carrying.

"He took that news very badly and he accepts he took a cocktail of unprescribed medication and cannabis.

"He was with his friend (who) had found him on a bridge and he expressed to me that he was having suicidal thoughts on that day that this offence was concerned."

However, Judge Robert Prince revoked the community order and sentenced him to a total of 19 months in a young offender's institute.

The judge said: "This was an extremely unpleasant incident upon a stepfather with a weapon.

"In mitigation it is raised you are only 20 years of age and you pleaded guilty.

"Whatever your own feelings were they certainly don't justify to any extreme an attack on another person."

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