A THUG involved in street violence and who also launched a brutal attack on his ex-partner has been detained for 13 months.

Robert Ganley, 20, had hit Liam Peers-Holland in the melee over a snowball in Burnley.

The victim was also attacked in the face with a weapon and was left bleeding after the trouble.

Two accomplices also involved, one who had been armed with a metal bar, walked from court, as did two women behind threatening behaviour related to the disturbance, the day after, the town's crown court was told.

Ganley, of Pheasantford Street, had admitted common assault and was sent by magistrates to the higher court for sentencing, after being convicted of assaulting Lauren Bradley, causing her actual bodily harm, in breach of a suspended custodial term.

Niall White, 20, of Salus Street, admitted affray and possessing an offensive weapon in the fracas. He received eight months in a Young Offenders Institution, suspended for two years, with 100 hours unpaid work.

Joshua Smith, 19, of Fraser Street, got a community order with 80 hours unpaid work. He pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour.

Lauren Bradley, 19, of Eldwick Street, and Lauren White, 22, of Basnet Street, were each conditionally discharged after admitting using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. All defendants live in Burnley.

Roger Baldwin, prosecuting, said it had snowed heavily and Mr Peers-Holland was in his Abinger Street home, when he saw one of a gang of youths throw a snowball at his car. He went outside to try to clear the group away. Two of them were wearing hoodies.

Mr Peers-Holland, who knew Niall White, shouted at them to clear off.

Ganley threw two punches and caught his face with one. The victim got hold of Ganley and White ran towards his house. The youths were shouting abuse.

Mr Baldwin said Mr Peers-Holland felt a sharp blow to his knee. He kept hold of Ganley and as he got up, he was hit to the face with a weapon. He felt intense pain and his eyesight failed for a second. The gang had now grown to about 12 people.

The victim let go of Ganley, who was not the person who used the weapon.

Mr Peers-Holland saw White in front of him with an extendable baton which he flipped out. Both the victim and his father said the blow with the weapon and the injury was not caused by White.

White threatened to go and get his ‘large, aggressive dog’ and set it on the victim.

Mr Peers-Holland walked back to his door as the group shouted: “We knocked you to the floor.”

He suffered a cut lip and his mouth and knee were bleeding.

Police arrived and the day after officers arrested Niall White at home and found an extending metal bar in a drawer.

He was taken to the police station and admitted making the bar and putting a bolt on the end one day as he was bored.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said Ganley had a ‘pretty bad’ record for violence and the assault on his former partner, Lauren Bradley had been cowardly and brutal.