TWO men smashed their neighbour’s window after being denied access to electricity to carry out building works.

Kieran Yorke, 20, and Craig Yorke, 47, threw bricks at the window of the property in Cleator Moor on August 17, causing injury to two people inside.

Outlining the case at Workington Magistrates’ Court, Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the homeowner had received a phone call from her son who was at the address and said windows had been smashed.

A statement from the victim said he had been at home with his partner when he heard a knock on the door. A man said he had come to access electricity from their address to work on a property down the road. The victim said he didn’t know anything about this.

Yorke Snr had then turned up again, asking about the electricity. The victim said he would need to speak to his mother because she was the land owner.

Craig Yorke then demanded that the victim went and got his mother, who was not at home.

The victim said he had locked the doors and was tuning his guitar when he heard a loud smash from the downstairs window. After seeing the window had been smashed and called the police. He said Yorke Jnr continued to throw stones at the window.

The defendants then left and the victim gave their vehicle registration to the police. During the incident, the victim had received a cut to his finger.

A second victim in the case, who is the partner of the first victim, said she was awoken to a loud sound and saw two men stood by the window with bricks in their hands.

She said one of the men had threatened to ‘make their lives hell’. One of the rocks had struck her to the head and there was a cut to her hand. She said they were throwing bricks for about 10 minutes.

The defendants were interviewed by police and gave ‘no comment’ to the majority of questions put to them.

A probation officer said the defendants’ version of events differed from the prosecution’s case.

The court heard that Yorke Snr and his wife live in the property next to the victims and were building a dividing wall. It had been agreed that they could use electricity from next door for a cement mixer.

Yorke Snr said this had been agreed with the owner of the property but she was away. The defendants said the male victim had produced an ornamental sword and ‘made the damage worse’. They said they had ‘only thrown a small rock through the window’.

Mike Pope, defending, said: “There’s some difference between the version of events. Guilty pleas have been entered at the first opportunity.

“They are adamant there was an agreement in place.

“The defendants accept they overreacted. The assaults weren’t intentional against either victim.

“If you are standing throwing bricks against a house for 10 minutes, the damage is going to be worse.”

Both defendants pleaded guilty to two charges of common assault and one charge of criminal damage under £5,000.

Yorke Snr, of Jacktrees Road, Cleator Moor, was given a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work.

Yorke Jnr, of Woodend, Egremont, was given a 12-month community order with 60 hours of unpaid work.

Both must pay £250 in compensation, £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.