A man who woke a family to the sound of him damaging their car, before assaulting the mother and daughter, has been slapped with a curfew and two year restraining order.

Jason Nicholls left Michelle Tripp and her daughter Kerry with grazes, bruises, and a swollen face after after attacking them outside their home in October.

Nicholls, 36, of Cardrew Road, Redruth, pleaded guilty at Truro Magistrates' Court to assaulting the Tripps in Strawberry Lane, Redruth after 12.30am on October 21, and also admitted damaging Ms Tripp’s car wing mirror valued at £100.

Mrs Tripp was awoken in the early hours by the sound of breaking plastic, and Alison May for the CPS said when she looked out of her window to see what the noise was, she saw Nicholls striking something on her daughter’s car.

She asked what he was doing, and he replied: "What the f….’s it got to do with you?"

Mrs Tripp and her husband went outside and found Nicholls by their door, his arm raised and fist clenched. He moved towards Mrs Tripp, who thought he was going to hit her.

Kerry joined them, and saw that her wing mirror was broken. Nicholls shouted: "Come on then, you’re a twat."

Frightened that her parents were about to be attacked, she pushed him away, and he grabbed her T-shirt, punching her in the head, which knocked her down, grazing her elbow.

Her parents held Nicholls down, but he then punched Mrs Tripp twice, giving her bruises and a swollen face. Still, the two older people held him down until Kerry called the police and officers arrived.

The court heard that Mrs Tripp had had breast cancer and this incident had set her back considerably. Kerry said Nicholls had threatened to return and she was frightened, and felt unsafe in her home.

Nicholls told the police afterwards that he had no recollection of what happened. He had been drinking lager and thought it had reacted badly with medication he was on.

He had had two previous police diversions - a means of dealing with offenders with mental health problems to avoid them entering the prison system - one for assault, causing actual bodily harm, and one for a drink offence.

Mark Charnley, his solicitor, said he suffered from various mental health difficulties. That day he had been to a counselling session which had dealt with events in his past, and after which he was using alcohol to blot out what had been discussed.

Nicholls was put under curfew every night for three months, told to pay compensation and costs totalling £345 and given a restraining order for two years banning him from going to Strawberry Lane, Redruth.