A visitor to the Lake District assaulted a motorist who he believed had almost knocked over his niece, a court heard.

Thirty-nine-year-old Lee Baxter was so annoyed with the driver that he chased him along a footpath and when the man fell over he grabbed him by his shirt as he remonstrated with him.

The defendant admitted an assault.

Prosecutor Pam Ward said the incident happened on July 23 near to the Park Foot campsite at Howtown Road, next to Ullswater.

The victim told police that he had parked his car at the Pooley Bridge campsite and then starting to walk towards the village when he noticed the defendant chasing after him.

The prosecution accepted the defendant’s explanation that he had wanted to speak to the man about nearly hitting his niece, said Mrs Ward.

But the man fell and that was when the assault – involving grabbing of his clothing – had happened.

Mrs Ward added that the man who fell had not supported the prosecution.

Mark Shepherd, for Baxter, asked magistrates at the city’s Rickergate court to put themselves in Baxter’s shoes and explained how he had been shaken by what he had just witnessed.

“He saw the life of his niece flash before his eyes,” said the lawyer.

“He thought she was either going to be killed or seriously injured.

“He lost control as a result of that.

“He accepts he should not have dealt with the matter in the way he did.

“He was simply so upset by what he’d seen.

"He perceived a lack of interest in the welfare of this child, his family member, at that time.”

Mr Shepherd said that it was to Baxter’s credit that his account of what happened that day had remained consistent throughout.

The defendant accepted responsibility for what he had done.

“He said he did chase after the man, the man fell over and he grabbed him by his shirt and he remonstrated robustly with him.

"He did not intend to strike this man and has been truthful from the word go.”

Magistrates said the defendant, who works as a self-employed builder and is a father-of-two from Garstang Road, Garstang, would be fined £500, with £85 costs and a £50 victim surcharge. “It’s a shame you now have this on your record,” said the presiding magistrate, noting that Baxter was a man of “relatively good recent behaviour.”

His past record also includes a drink-driving conviction and cocaine possession, the court heard.