A YORK man was punched and kicked by two of his in-laws in what magistrates labelled a nasty assault.

Father and son Geoffrey Robert Atkinson, 58, and Mark James Atkinson, 29, admitted assaulting Oliver Shriver by beating.

Martin Butterworth, prosecuting at York Magistrates Court, said the Atkinsons' victim was married to Claire Shriver - their daughter and sister respectively.

The couple had separated two months before the incident, but Mr Shriver had tried to restore the relationship.

On April 17, Mr Shriver returned to the marital home in Nether Way, Nether Poppleton where his aggressive behaviour woke the couple's children.

A friend of Claire Shriver rang Mark Atkinson to get him to pick the children up and he arrived with his father.

Geoffrey Atkinson asked where Mr Shriver was and the pair found him in the kitchen.

Mr Butterworth said: "Both men squared up to him, Mark grabbing him by the throat and Geoffrey punching him.

"Mr Shriver remembers going to ground and hitting his head on the kitchen cupboard."

He suffered a 2cm gash and was assaulted continually while on the floor.

Mr Butterworth said: "The suggestion is that there were punches and kicks."

The incident was reported to the police, who were told: "Ollie is kicking off again".

Geoffrey Atkinson said Mr Shriver had hit him first, but the prosecution did not accept that.

"Geoffrey Atkinson accepts that he had consumed seven or eight pints," said Mr Butterworth.

"Mark Atkinson accepted he had had 10 bottles of lager to drink."

Kristian Cavanagh, defending, asked for the case to be adjourned for probation reports, but magistrates went ahead with sentencing.

Magistrates told the Atkinsons: "This is a nasty assault, two on one. However, you are of previous good character."

Geoffrey Atkinson, of Manor Drive South, and Mark Atkinson, of Spindle Close, both in York, were each fined £350 and ordered to pay £150 compensation, £85 costs and a £35 surcharge.