Spurned teen armed himself with bat and went to attack love rival

Matthew Daly had broken up acrimoniously with a teenage girl after a three year relationship, and was angry she had formed a new relationship, Preston’s Sessions House heard.

On August 20, Daly, 18, of Wilbraham Street, Preston, and his friend Philip Wallis, also 18 and of Wilbraham Street, attended her home in Preston and forced their way in.

Prosecuting, Jon Close said: “ That jealousy was to erupt into violence when, just after midnight, Daly and Wallis attended at her home armed with a baseball bat.

“Threats were issued before entry was forced to the premises and Daly attacked her new boyfriend.

“Using Wallis’ phone, Daly called his ex-girlfriend and told her that he was en route and that he intended to assault her, her boyfriend and damage the home with a bat.”

The men arrived in Wallis’ car and Daly got a baseball bat from the boot. They threatened the occupants and demanded her boyfriend leave the address.

Daly shouted: ‘I am going to smash your head in, smash your brother’s head in and smash your windows.’

The girl tried to lock the back door but was not quick enough as both men had made their way into the garden.

They were briefly thwarted by a barricaded internal door, but once through they ran upstairs.

Daly assaulted Rankin, pushing him to the floor and punching his head around 10 times.

The man was left with a lump ‘the size of a marble on the left side of his head above his ear’ and a bruise under a fingernail.

As police arrived the defendants climbed from the upstairs window, onto the conservatory roof and into the garden.

Wallis was caught in the garden and Daly, who fled, was arrested at his home.

Daly was jailed for 21 months after admitting affray, possession of an offensive weapon and actual bodily harm, while Wallis was given six months, suspended for two years, with 200 hours unpaid work after admitting affray.