A BURGLAR who broke into a house and repeatedly punched a man in a violent attack in Lowestoft has been jailed for three years.

Jonathan Skillern stole tobacco from Steven Brown's home at Magnolia Court in Lowestoft after smashing a window, then returned six days later with his friend Steven Eade and repeatedly punched Mr Brown in the face, leaving him with a suspected broken nose, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

The court heard that Mr Brown had been going out with Eade's sister and Eade had enlisted Skillern's help to teach Mr Brown a lesson after his sister complained about the way he had treated her.

Eade, 47, of Beacon House, Lowestoft, and Skillern, 29, of no fixed address, both admitted assaulting Mr Brown causing him actual bodily harm on March 13 and Skillern also admitted burglary at Mr Brown's home on March 7.

Eade was jailed for eight months at an earlier hearing for the assault on Mr Brown and yesterday Skillern was jailed for a total of three years for the assault and burglary, less 187 days he has already spent in custody.

Sentencing him, Judge John Holt described the assault on Mr Brown as 'nasty'.

The court heard that on March 13 Mr Brown answered a knock at his front door and was confronted by Skillern and Eade.

They had then punched Mr Brown in the face, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting. Mr Brown suffered a suspected broken nose, a cut over his right eye, a gash on his forehead, a cut to his mouth and swelling to his cheek and jaw.

Jamie Sawyer, for Skillern, said his client had been asked by Eade to help him teach Mr Brown a lesson because of issues arising out of Mr Brown's relationship with Sharon Eade.

'He assisted his friend out of a misguided sense of loyalty,' said Mr Sawyer.