A MOTHER, her partner and a friend went round to the father of her children's home to attack him and try to take back two youngsters after a row about their clothes being ‘too small’.

Manchester Crown Court heard mother-of-two Rhiannon Moss, 21, her partner John Whittaker, 22, and friend Ryan Hancock, 18, all went to the home of Moss’s former partner Liam Greenwood following an argument about the children.

Prosecutor Brian Berlyne said Rhiannon Moss, of Arran Street, Burnley, had asked during a video call whether the children would be returned the following Tuesday, as agreed. But Mr Greenwood said they would not.

Moss and Whittaker, also of Arran Street, then threatened to ‘kick the door down, beat them up and take the children’, the court was told.

Later Moss, with Whittaker and Hancock, went to Mr Greenwood's home in Alexandra Road, Radcliffe, but was refused entry by Miss Kenny, who had called the police after the earlier threat.

Mr Berlyne said Whittaker and Hancock, of Prestwich Street, Burnley, kicked the door until it opened and came across Charlene's relative Andy Kenny.

Hancock punched Mr Kenny before Whittaker kicked him in the head and put him in a headlock, he added.

Hancock punched the victim again and Whittaker hit him to the back of the head, before the pair went upstairs.

Miss Kenny was with the defendant and victim's two children, and another two children, in the bedroom trying to hold the door closed.

Moss pushed Miss Kenny's arm and the defendants kicked the door until it fell of its hinges and all three went into the bedroom.

Hancock and Whittaker moved towards Mr Greenwood while Moss approached Miss Kenny, pulling her hair.

Whitaker punched Mr Greenwood after putting him in a headlock and pulling him to the floor with Hancock punching him.

Miss Kenny attempted to comfort Moss’s then 18-month-old daughter who was crying.

Moss pulled her hair again before grabbing the children and leaving. Police had arrived by then and arrested the three attackers.

Defending Moss, who pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault, Anna Bond said her client had never been involved in any criminal proceedings before or since.

Miss Bond told the court prison would only punish Moss, whose two children had ‘complex needs’.

Defending Whittaker, who pleaded guilty to two assault charges, Peter Cruickshank said his clients was sorry for ‘the very serious and completely unacceptable nature of what he has done’.

Mr Cruickshank said: “This is a working young man who is trying to do the best for his young family.”

Peter Malone, defending Hancock who pleaded guilty to common assault and assault, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was 17 when the offence occurred, and regretted his actions deeply.

Sentencing, Judge Alan Conrad said the incident was "disgraceful" and they had all entered as trespassers to the property.

Judge Conrad added: "The case is aggravated, not just by the fact of entering the house as trespassers but the fact this was committed in front of young children.

“There may have been a grievance with how things were being dealt with there. This was no way to go about resolving this.”

Moss was given a two-year community order, 40 days of rehab activities and a three-month curfew. Whittaker was given a six-month suspended sentence with 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehab days.

Hancock was given a two-year community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehab days.