Man who attacked shopkeeper with broom in phone row jailed

Det Con Tom Farrell said the local community were "rightly outraged" by what happened

A man who tried to sell a mobile phone to a shopkeeper and then attacked him with a broom when he refused to purchase it has been jailed.

Lancashire Police said Alan Marshall struck the man on the head at a shop in Bank Top, Blackburn, on 27 July and then fled, leaving him with a deep cut.

The 32-year-old admitted wounding and possession of an offensive weapon at Preston Crown Court.

Marshall, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

The force said Marshall had gone to the man's shop in the hope that he would buy a phone from him.

'Appalling'

It said when the man refused in the belief that it was stolen, Marshall "armed himself with a broom" and struck the shopkeeper on the head, leaving a 2in (5cm) wound that required "five staples to close".

A representative said the shopkeeper chased Marshall outside, where he ran "straight in front of an oncoming car".

"When the driver of the car asked Marshall if he was OK, he ran off," they said.

"The driver then went into the shop to check on the victim and, noticing he was injured, called the police."

Marshall handed himself in at Blackburn Town Centre Police Station a short time later and was arrested.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Con Tom Farrell said the local community were "rightly outraged" by what happened.

"This was an appalling offence committed against an innocent man just trying to do his job," he said.

He added that the force took "offences like this extremely seriously and will do everything in our power to put the offenders before the courts".