A COUPLE went armed with a baseball bat to attack a man in his own home, following an exchange of vitriolic texts, a court heard.

Billy Raymond was left “fuming” at the last of the “provocative” messages, triggering the violent response.

He and his then partner Caroline Matthews left their Easington Colliery home and made the short journey to nearby Grants Houses for an early hours’ confrontation.

Durham Crown Court was told they forced entry by kicking the door, breaking a small panel, before coming across the complainant, who awoke, having been sleeping on the living room settee.

Phillip Morley, prosecuting, said he was aware of shouting by the couple, who appeared to be intoxicated.

He was struck on the top of the head with the bat, which snapped, before both followed up with a flurry of punches to the head and body.

Mr Morley told the court Matthews accepts landing the single blow, and police later recovered the broken bat handle from the property.

The victim was treated for a black eye, a cut to the top of the head, plus bruising.

Following their arrest, later that morning, Raymond told police the other man had been doing some work for him, over which there was a disagreement, sparking the abusive texts.

He agreed that he went round to confront him after the last of the texts left him “fuming” at a time he had been drinking.

Although he confirmed several punches were thrown, at that stage he denied that a weapon was used.

Matthews confirmed she went with Raymond and picked up the child’s bat from the van, taking it to the house to bang it on the windows, but not intending to use it in any violent confrontation.

Mr Morley said by her basis of plea, she now accepts striking the other man with the bat, but only once before it broke.

Raymond, 33, and 30-year-old Matthews, of Dene Avenue, Easington Colliery, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Mitigating, Paul Cross said in drink they took the “unwise” decision to confront the other man, due to the increasingly “offensive” messages he sent Raymond.

Judge Simon Hickey said he accepted the attack was “out of character” against a background of some provocation, but warned them against taking the law into their own hands in future.

They were each given eight-month prison sentences, suspended for a year, and both were ordered to pay the victim £250 compensation.