AN IRATE father who attacked a neighbour with an extendable baton after the man had chased after his son for playing ‘chap door run’ has been ordered to pay his victim compensation.

Robert Rudkin struck farmer David Hanna to the body with the weapon after the man had grabbed his son by the clothing for playing the game of banging on doors and running away.

Rudkin, 52, raced round after hearing that his son had been left “hysterical” following the confrontation with Mr Hanna on Main Street, Ormiston.

The angry dad spotted his victim in the street and, after pulling out the baton from his waistband, he swung the implement at the man about nine times.

Mr Hanna was left battered and bruised after he was struck three times to the left side of his body.

Rudkin had pleaded guilty to the assault when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and he returned for sentencing on Monday.

Sheriff Chris Dickson said: “This was a serious offence whereby you struck the complainer with a baton.”

The sheriff added that he had considered a custodial sentence but ultimately stopped short of that and placed Rudkin on a community payback order along with a restriction of liberty order.

Rudkin was told he must pay Mr Hanna £250 in compensation and must stay within his home between the hours of 8pm and 5am each night while wearing an electronic tag for the next 160 days.

Rudkin was also placed on supervision for 12 months and ordered not to approach or contact Mr Hanna for the next three years as part of a non-harassment order.

Previously, the court was told that Rudkin, now of Potters Path, Tranent, had approached Mr Hanna in the village at about 4.15pm on October 6, 2019.

Prosecutor Sarah Quinn said: “Words were exchanged and resulted in Mr Rudkin drawing an extendable baton from his waistband and beginning to swing towards the complainer. He swung it approximately nine times, with two to three of the swings connecting with the complainer.”

The fiscal depute added that Mr Hanna was struck on his left hand and to the left side of his chest, which left a three-inch bruise and “caused soreness”.

Rudkin then entered a waiting car driven by a woman and police were subsequently contacted.

Unemployed Rudkin was later traced and arrested after officers identified him by viewing local CCTV footage.

On Monday, Millie Virtue, solicitor, said that her client has moved away from the village since the incident and that he “completely accepted responsibility for the offence”. The lawyer added: “Had it not been his son who had contacted him, and not his son who had been shouted at, he would not have got as angry as he did.”

Rudkin pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Hanna by repeatedly striking him on the body with a baton to his injury at Main Street, Ormiston, on October 6, 2019.