A 48-YEAR-OLD man fractured a man’s arm in a brawl after trying to touch the tattoos on his partner’s back.

William Dickinson, of Leicester Avenue, Horwich, appeared in Bolton Crown Court via video link from Forest Bank Prison yesterday having admitted one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.

The incident took place in Horwich on Friday, May 26, after Dickinson got into an altercation with two couples enjoying a night out.

David Lees, prosecuting, said: “Two couples had been out for an evening in Horwich. The party had about three drinks each so they were not particularly drunk.

“Near The Crown pub they were approached by Mr Dickinson, who expressed interest in one of the women’s tattoos and he started touching her back.

“She was upset about that and her partner stepped in to question what he was doing. The defendant asked him ‘what are you going to do about it?’.

“The partner then pushed Mr Dickinson’s shoulder.”

Mr Lees said Dickinson started a fight with the man, exchanging blows and ripping his shirt, before walking away.

But then Dickinson returned to the group and took his shirt off before he started fighting with the other man from the group.

Mr Lees said: “Mr Dickinson said he would kill them and the two started swinging punches at each other.

“They fell back into a wall and the victim fell to the ground and hit the back of his head, banged his elbow and fractured his radius.”

The fight was broken up when a passer-by grabbed Dickinson and tried to speak to him.

But Mr Lees said Dickinson was abusive towards the man, who then managed to tackle Dickinson to the ground with help from other members of the public.

Dickinson is currently in custody after being made the subject of Imprisonment For Public Protection sentence following a string of offences dating back to when he was aged 10.

Sentencing of Dickinson was adjourned until tomorrow in order for the probation service to draw up a pre-sentence report. He will appear once again via video link at Bolton Crown Court.