A "NON-VIOLENT" man who mixed alcohol and anti-depressant medication ended up assaulting a pub landlady and her partner.

Blackburn magistrates heard the couple had asked Lee McClelland to leave The Wellington pub in Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, after he started trouble with another customer. McClelland, 46, of Grenada Close, Lower Darwen, pleaded guilty to assaulting Joanne Richardson and Brian Douglas.

He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with 25 days rehabilitation activity requirement, ordered to complete 40 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £150 compensation to each of the victims. Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said Miss Richardson was working in the pub at about 8pm and saw the defendant, who is her cousin, sitting at the end of the bar chatting to another customer.

He started shouting and appeared to be upset about something and she put herself between the two men. "Her partner told McClelland to leave and when the three of them were standing outside the front door he turned his anger on them," said Mrs Yates.

"He punched Mr Douglas and then pushed Miss Richardson, causing her to fall to the floor and cut her knee cap." She was helped back into the pub and looked out to see McClelland outside with his shirt off, shouting threats as though he still wanted to fight. When he was interviewed McClelland told police he suffered from depression and had been feeling down at the start of the day.

He said he was not a violent person and thought mixing alcohol and medication may have caused him to behave in the way that he did. "He watched the CCTV footage of the incident and said he was disgusted with himself," said Mrs Yates. Gareth Price, defending, said his client had shown genuine remorse and didn't seek to make any excuses for his behaviour. "He clearly lost his self-control which is something he hasn't done before in the 46 years he has been on the planet," said Mr Price.

"He had changed his medication a few days earlier and thinks that, inadvertently, he had taken the wrong dose.

"This is a defendant who is appalled by his conduct and to be here in court today."