A MAN who launched a vicious attack on his father at his home in Martock when he refused to get him more booze has been sentenced to a community order by magistrates.

James Raymond Cobb, from Taunton, repeatedly thumped his father to the head and would not listen to reason during the drunken assault.

When the defendant spied a bottle of whiskey on the floor his father tried to stop him getting hold of it and he was beaten about the head a second time before his wife called 999.

When Cobb, 27, of Duke Street, appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil they were told that although the victim had attended court with his son, he said he did not intend for him to get a criminal conviction.

The defendant pleaded guilty to assaulting his father by beating him during the incident on November 24.

Christine Hart, prosecuting, said that Cobb had been at the family home in Martock and had a meal but had also been drinking.

“He wanted more alcohol despite already being intoxicated and then grabbed his father by the hand and they fell onto a chair,” she said.

“He wouldn’t let his father go and thumped him about 15 times around the head until the victim had to strike him back to try and get him off.

“He tried to reason with the defendant but he wouldn’t let him, and Cobb then saw a bottle of whiskey on the floor and said he was going to have it.

“The victim tried to prevent him from getting it and there was a further struggle where he was beaten around the head by his son again until Cobb’s mother called the police.”

As a result of the attack the victim suffered pain and discomfort around his head and swelling to his left hand and knuckle where his hand had been pulled back. He also had reddening to his cheek where he had been struck.

In a statement read out to the court the victim said he did not wish for his son to have a conviction but said he hoped the court would get his son the help he needed to try and beat his alcohol addiction.

When Cobb was interviewed by the police he said he didn’t recall anything about what happened but did not dispute what his parents said and fully accepted their account of events.

He started crying during interview and accepted he had issues with alcohol.

Probation officer Joe Harper said that just before the offence Cobb’s flat had been “cuckooed” and taken over by drug dealers which was becoming increasingly stressful for him.

He had also split up with his girlfriend and on the day in question he had been drinking quite heavily and could not remember much about the actual offence itself.

“He is genuinely remorseful as things between him and his parents had just started to get better and he totally regrets what happened,” he said.

“Alcohol is the biggest of his issues after he started drinking at the age of 16 on a daily basis and his mental health is also poor at the moment.”

The magistrates sentenced Cobb to a 12 month community order with a 40 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. They also ordered him to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.