A MAN’S hand was broken after he was attacked by a drinker who objected to a ‘Scouser’ being in the same pub, a court heard.

A jury at Bolton Crown Court was told that Michael Hollywood had been on a night out with his mother, her partner, Michael Jackson, and two other family members.

After spending time in The Robert Shaw in Westhoughton on the evening of November 19 2016 the party made its way to the Wheatsheaf in Market Street at around 10pm.

A jury heard that music was playing and people were on the dance floor when, half an hour later, Mr Hollywood became involved in an argument with 32-year-old Simon Fairclough.

Mr Fairclough allegedly heard Mr Hollywood’s Liverpudlian accent and questioned why a ‘Scouser’ was there.

The jury was shown a CCTV video of the dance floor in which Fairclough is seen swinging a punch at Mr Hollywood.

The blow did not connect but both men fell to the floor and, in the fight, Mr Hollywood’s hand was broken and cut by, what is thought to be, a tooth.

Mr Hollywood was taken outside the pub where Mr Jackson joined him.

“He was dripping blood all over the floor and his hand was in a terrible state,” said Mr Jackson.

He added that he then went back into the pub and, in the porch, he was also assaulted by some men.

Mr Hollywood’s mother, Helen Goffett, told the court that she confronted Fairclough, asking him why he had hit her son and he replied, ‘because he is a d...head’.

“I couldn’t understand what had happened,”said Miss Goffett. “I was dumbfounded.”

Fairclough, of Drake Hall, Westhoughton, denies causing grievous bodily harm.

Giving evidence in his own defence he denied not wanting someone from Liverpool in the pub.

“You started this fight, didn’t you, because you didn’t want a Scouser in the pub?” said Nicholas Clarke, prosecuting.

“I didn’t know he was a Scouser,” replied Fairclough, who stated that he had swung a punch at Mr Hollywood after the complainant verbally abused him and he thought he was going to be headbutted. “He put his head towards me and sort of nudged my face. I assumed he was going to hit me. There was a big panic,” he said.

Fairclough claimed that the was injured by Mr Hollywood, suffered a chipped tooth and later needed four stitches to a cut above his right eye. He said that he had only punched Mr Hollywood in self defence to get him off him as they struggled on the floor.

The trial continues.