A 29-year-old man from Douglas has been handed a suspended sentence after a row with his girlfriend’s father.

Dominic Paul Byrne, of Anagh Coar Road, pleaded guilty to an affray charge and was sentenced to six weeks’ custody, suspended for two years.

Byrne was also ordered to pay £200 prosecution costs.

Prosecutor Mark Benson told the court how, on September 24 at 12.50pm, the father of Byrne’s girlfriend was walking along Broadway towards the gates of the Villa Marina Gardens.

A car pulled in and Byrne got out of the driver’s side.

Byrne was said to have started screaming at his girlfriend’s father saying: ’I’m with your daughter now, stay out of it.’

He then said: ’Let’s sort it out here and now,’ and seemed to point towards a tree.

The girl’s father replied saying: ’I won’t go anywhere with you. If you’re like this with me what the hell are you like with my daughter?’

Byrne was then said to have thrown two punches, one of which hit the other man on the jaw.

He then continued the row saying: ’You have no idea who I am and who I can get over.’

Byrne then drove away but was later arrested. In a police interview, when shown CCTV footage of the incident, he made * comment.

He was subsequently charged with affray.

Defending Byrne in court his advocate Jim Travers said that his client’s behaviour while on bail had been exemplary.

Mr Travers said: ’The offence was in September therefore he has been on bail for six months and no further offences have come to light. He is a 29-year-old man with something of a chequered history. Some 18 previous convictions, most from his time in the north west of England.

’His last was in fact in 2009. In recent years there has been a marked turnaround in his life having moved to the Isle of Man over five years ago, settled in a relationship and engaging in full-time employment.

’His life up until 2009 in England consisted of troublesome episodes with dishonesty type offences.’

The advocate went on to say that Byrne’s meeting with his girlfriend’s father had been a chance encounter.

Mr Travers continued, saying: ’There had been a text message history. He was threatened over texts. It’s clear he doesn’t get on with his partner’s father. He didn’t seek out the aggrieved party but saw him and stopped in order to discuss the text message with him.’

Mr Travers said that the incident was brief and there were no significant injuries.

Magistrates’ chairman Caroline Convery said that only custody was appropriate but that there were grounds to suspend the sentence.