A MAN involved in a feud was present when his rival’s home was petrol-bombed, a court heard.

Dean Wilkinson, who denied responsibility , admitted turning up outside the other man’s home in the same car as the petrol-bomber.

Durham Crown Court heard the couple living at the targeted house, in Chilton, near Ferryhill, were at home with their two young children at the time, at 8.30pm on August 19, last year.

Glass was heard smashing in the rear alleyway, and the householder looked out to see a car parked nearby.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the man recognised Wilkinson in the front passenger seat, but was unfamiliar with the driver.

A third man, who he thought he also recognised, then got out and threw the petrol bomb which hit the householder on the left side of the jaw before dropping to the kitchen floor.

He managed to prevent fire spreading by throwing water over it, to extinguish the flames on the lino flooring.

Mr Dryden said the car was driven away, and the victim received medical assistance for reddening to the side of the face and neck, but did not need hospital treatment.

Wilkinson was identified and arrested, and told police he had been involved in a feud with the man at the targeted property for several months, after he was ‘cut up’ by him at a petrol station.

The defendant told police he intended getting out of the car to seek to fight it out one-to-one with the householder, to settle their dispute.

But he claimed he was beaten to it by the other passenger, who threw the missile.

He refused to name the other two men in the car, in case of “repercussions”, but agreed with police that the feud had, “got out of hand”.

Mr Dryden told the court that although several names have since been put forward as the petrol-bomb thrower, no-one has yet been charged.

Wilkinson, 26, of Church Street, Ferryhill, was initially accused of arson, but ‘no evidence’ was offered on that charge after he admitted violent disorder.

Charles Knowles, for Wilkinson, said police were called several times to the home of the defendant’s girlfriend when youths had gone apparently seeking trouble.

He said it reached the stage where Wilkinson decided to, “take matters into his own hands” by going to the other man’s address to seek to fight it out that night.

But he added that what took place that night had to be considered, “ten out of ten for stupidity”.

Jailing Wilkinson for 20-months, Judge Simon Hickey imposed a restraining order preventing him from contacting the other man, “until further order”.