THE day before the funeral of his mother, a man attacked a security guard in a shopping mall.

Gary Richard Hughes, 21, punched shopping centre guard Craig Thompson when he tried to evict him from a mall for being abusive.

Hughes was warned yesterday he could face jail for the assault.

Hartlepool Magistrates' Court chairman of the bench Velda Leak adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports and told him: "All options remain open."

Hughes, of Staithes Court, Hartlepool, was serving an 18-month community rehabilitation order when he attacked Mr Thompson in the town's Middleton Grange Shopping Centre on March 14.

Lynne Dalton, prosecuting, said Hughes had sworn at the security guard and continued to be abusive after being asked to leave the centre.

Mr Thompson grabbed Hughes but he broke free and punched him on the arm before being removed and arrested when police back-up arrived.

Neil Taylor, in mitigation, said Hughes, who admitted assault, had apologised as soon as he was taken from the mall.

"The following day his mother was to be buried," said Mr Taylor. He said her death had been unexpected.

"He was in the town with some friends, upset, and he acted badly."

Hughes was ordered to return to court on June 23 for sentence after the completion of a probation official's report.

His daughter, Abbie Jade, died in July 2002 after being left in his care, and at an inquest the following year, coroner Malcolm Donnelly recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

Police have carried out lengthy investigations into the death, but Crown Prosecution Service lawyers ruled three times that there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution.