Mansfield dad hit masked gang man who terrorised his family

James Vaughan hit the man in the mouth while he was sitting in a car, in Warsop, on the evening of March 18, leaving him with a chipped tooth, said Ruth Snodin, prosecuting.

Vaughan was later arrested on suspicion of assault, while driving a Hyundai Trajet, on Hetts Lane, Warsop, where a test revealed he was twice over the drink drive limit.

“The night before he was at his partner’s house with their five children when three men wearing balaclavas burst in,” said Abby Edwards, mitigating.

Vaughan was holding his two-year-old son when he was hit over the head with a metal bar, and a friend was also assaulted, she said.

He recognised one of his assailants as an ex-friend when his mask slipped, the court heard.

The next day he was contacted by a CID officer asking for more information, said Ms Edwards.

“Regretably he decided to drive to the property after drinking,” she said.

“He was understandably very upset and angry and wanted to know why he had been assaulted.

“He clearly went through quite a lot the night before.”

Vaughan, 33, of Netherfield Lane, Meden Vale, admitted assault, driving while above the legal limit, without insurance or a licence when he appeared before magistrates in Mansfield on Thursday.

A test revealed he had 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

He had previous convictions for drug possession, in August 2016, and driving without a licence or insurance, in July 2015.

Cheryl Nisbet, of the probation service, said: “He feels that any father would have reacted in the same way.

“He knows that he needs to leave it alone now and let the police get on with their investigations.”

Vaughan was given a nine-month community order, with 15 rehabilitation activity days, and ordered to pay £50 compensation.

He was banned from driving for 20 months and was fined £120, but no costs were awarded.