A MAN who attacked his mum’s partner following his grandfather’s funeral has been spared jail.

Christopher Downham’s ankle was broken and he needed surgery following the altercation with Daniel Wilde.

Jonathan Dickinson, prosecuting, told how 48-year-old Downham had been in an on-off relationship with Wilde’s mother for four years but had been separated for 18 months.

On the evening of August 24, 2018, she contacted him.

“She asked to meet up with Mr Downham because her father had died and and she wanted to talk and walk her dog with him,” said Mr Dickinson.

At 10pm he waited near her home but was confronted by Wilde, now aged 23.

“As he was waiting, suddenly the defendant ran from the house and set about attacking him,” said Mr Dickinson.

Mr Downham was punched in the mouth, punched again and fell to the ground, coming into contact with Mr Wilde’s foot.

In pain, he called for help from a passer-by while Wilde, of Gadfield Court, Atherton, ran off.

When questioned by police Wilde accepted he had hit the victim and said he had spoken to Mr Downham to tell him to leave his family alone.

“He said that Mr Downham had brought a number of frustrations to their family,” said Mr Dickinson.

He denied stamping on Mr Downham’s ankle, claiming that it broke when he fell over.

Wilde, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Paul Treble, defending, told Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh, that Wilde feels “very, very bad” about what happened.

“The day of this incident had been his grandfather’s funeral, his mother’s father. She was obviously very upset about that, as was the defendant, which is why, when the victim came to the house, he went outside and acted totally inappropriately,” said Mr Treble.

“He is a gentle, quietly -spoken individual, who is really horrified about what happened. He was acting out of character at a moment of serious emotion.”

He added that Wilde and his partner are expecting their first child and are saving for a house.

Judge Walsh sentenced Wilde to 46 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months and ordered him to undertake 160 hours of unpaid work.