A DAD has been jailed for an axe attack on a man he suspected of supplying heroin to his son.

John Higgins, 48, who spent 20 years as an addict himself, broke into a flat in Tutnall Street, Lydney, to confront Daniel Bowkett, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

He was accompanied by daughter Jade, 20, during the attack.

Higgins, of The Springs, Lydney, thought Bowkett was leading his son John junior into drug abuse, the court heard.

He went to the flat, which belonged to Bowkett's girlfriend Amanda Dunford, and broke through the front door using the axe.

Naked Bowkett, who was in bed, leapt out and tried to defend himself with an ornamental Samurai sword as Higgins swung the axe at him, said Ian Fenny, prosecuting. The sword was too blunt to help Bowkett but he managed to flee the house – injuring himself on the damaged door as he scrambled out, Mr Fenny said.

Higgins admitted affray and having an offensive weapon on January 24 this year and was jailed for 15 months. Jade Higgins, of Augustus Way, Lydney, also admitted affray and was given a 15-month community order with an alcohol rehab course and ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work.

Jason Coulter, defending, told Judge Michael Harington: "This man is fully prepared to accept that he tried to take the law into his own hands. As you'll have read in the pre-sentence report, he struggled for 20-plus years with a serious heroin addiction.

"To his credit he's now cleaned himself up. He's been clean for six years or thereabouts. What really concerned him – and the motivation for his hostility towards Daniel Bowkett – was what he perceived as being Bowkett's behaviour towards his 21-year-old son, John junior. He saw John junior very regrettably following in his father's footsteps into drug addiction. Of course, father having been there himself, he was desperate to try to do anything to prevent his son making the same gravely mistaken choices."

Jailing John Higgins, Judge Harington said: "You decided to take the law into your own hands because of what you perceived as misbehaviour by Mr Bowkett directed at your son. You decided to teach Mr Bowkett a lesson and go to his property and frighten him because of what was being done to your son."