A father-of-four threw a bailiff down steps and cut off a car wheel clamp, a court heard.

Sean Young, of Slaidburn Drive, Accrington, got into a row with council tax enforcement bailiff Kerrie Cave after she visited his house to carry out a court order to seize goods because of unpaid council tax. She clamped a Volvo car - which he used - after Young refused to pay the £430 bill.

Burnley Crown Court heard how the self-employed builder later pushed Miss Cave down a flight of steps outside his home and then pushed her several times in her back before being arrested by police officers.

He was convicted of assault and criminal damage made at Blackburn Magistrates Court after a trial earlier this year where he was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work, pay £200 compensation to Miss Cave, £200 compensation for the wheel clamp and £720 costs.

He appeared at Burnley Crown Court to appeal the conviction, but his case was dismissed by a judge.

Opposing the appeal, solicitor Mark Lamberty told the court that Miss Cave went round to Young’s house at 6.45am on October 10 last year and he acted aggressively through a window from the inside of his home and refused to pay the debt.

When she clamped his car he came out to take photographs of her before she drove off.

The court heard how Miss Cave later returned at 10.45am and found the clamp had been removed.

When she spoke to Young again he produced a vehicle registration document saying the car belonged to his mum but refused to return the clamp.

Miss Cave told the court that she was left ‘in shock’ after he assaulted her, causing injuries to her knee and grazes to her arms and ribs. She said: “He grabbed me and threw me sideways down the stairs. I was so off-guard I wasn’t expecting it. He caught up with me and then pushed me on my back.”

Giving evidence, Young, 46, denied assaulting her and said Miss Cave had put the clamp on his car before speaking to him and was only trying to ‘protect’ his property.

He said: “I cut the padlock off but didn’t damage the clamp. It certainly wasn’t my intention to remove it in a criminal manner. I knew she was wrong and I was right.

“I thought the car was going to be taken away and crushed.”

Presenting his appeal, solicitor, Leila Ghahhary, said Miss Cave had put the wrong sticker notice on Young’s car after it was clamped and said her account of the assault was ‘nonsense’. The court heard how Young has already completed nearly half his unpaid work and an extra £225 court costs were added after the appeal hearing.

Judge Beverley Lunt said: “The car was not in need of immediate protection as he had four hours to pay. He didn’t try and do it by any other means than removing the clamp. He knew of the options, he knew he had other possibilities but chose not to use them.”