By Staff Reporter

Last updated 12:46, Thursday, 07 August 2008

A body builder who beat up a 61-year-old man with a bad heart has been warned he is likely to be sent to prison.

Patrick Weaver, 39, was found guilty at Carlisle Crown Court of causing actual bodily harm to Peter Bragg, a “father figure” to his girlfriend Gillian Leggatt.

After the jury’s unanimous verdict Judge Peter Hughes QC told him: “I take a serious view of this sort of violence, especially when it is committed against an older and less strong man. There may be no alternative to a sentence of imprisonment.”

Weaver, of Maryport Road, Dearham, was remanded on bail for background reports and will be sentenced on September 9.

The court heard the incident happened on February 20 after Mr Bragg gave Ms Leggatt and her children a lift when she decided to move back in with Weaver after a separation.

Mr Bragg and Ms Leggatt, whom he had known since her childhood, had an argument on the way because he felt she had been abusing their friendship by “using” him to do chores like her shopping while she was living apart from Weaver.

When they arrived at the house Weaver saw that his girlfriend was upset and he came outside and attacked Mr Bragg, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly punching his face.

“He didn’t say anything to me – he just thumped me,” Mr Bragg told the jury.

Weaver claimed that he had only retaliated after Mr Bragg grabbed him, and that Mr Bragg injured himself by accident.