A professional rugby player and his father attacked a man with baseball bats after forcing their way into his Warwickshire home.

Sam Bates, a Coventry RFC prop, and his father Wayne Bates, attacked victim Keith Coleman because they believe he had poured paint stripper on Sam Bates’s car.

The pair broke into the victim’s house in Newcomen Road, Bedworth, and confronted Mr Coleman who at the time was in his bedroom with his pregnant girlfriend.

Prosecuting, Vicki Lofrese told Warwick Crown Court that both men hit Mr Coleman with the bats, with Wayne Bates taking the first swing.

Mr Coleman’s father was woken by the noise of the attack and rushed to his son’s aid, grabbing Sam Bates, only to be hit with a bat by Wayne Bates.

Terrified, Mr Coleman’s girlfriend fled downstairs to join his mother Donna Coleman and Keith also ran down but was followed by the two intruders who continued their attack in the sitting room.

In the melee Mrs Coleman was pushed back onto the sofa and Keith’s brother Sean was also hit.

Wayne Bates (44), of Hayes Lane, Exhall, was jailed for two years, but Sam Bates (19), of the same address, was given a 51-week sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work.

The pair pleaded guilty to affray, possessing offensive weapons and assault.

As a result of the attacks Keith had severe bruising to his hand and legs, while his father had a broken nose, a cut to his chin and bruising over  the whole of his body.

Defending, William Rickarby said Sam Bates, “a professional sportsman” with Coventry RFC where he has a career ahead of him as a prop, was acting under the influence of his father.

And Stefan Kolodynski, defending for Wayne Bates, said: “He knows that what happened that night was dreadful for the Colemans.

"He accepts he was the prime mover.  His most bitter regret is dragging his son into this.”

Jailing Wayne Bates, Judge Griffith-Jones told him: “It really is a  tragedy to see a man of your quality standing in the dock, but what you did was to invade someone’s home with weapons at night. They were completely innocent people.

“Whatever your suspicions about one of them, his mother and his girlfriend were completely innocent, as was his father, and they were vulnerable.

“You launched a sustained period of violence on an innocent men, causing quite serious injury.  I cannot avoid a custodial sentence.”

He told Sam Bates, who was also ordered to pay £750 costs: “You cannot act as judge and jury.  If the world operated like that, there would be the most terrible violence and serious injustice.

“But I am not going to send you to custody. The crucial difference is that your father has taken the major responsibility, and you are still only 19."