Granddad put on balaclava and battered daughter-in-law with rounders bat in front of child as they watched Harry Potter film

Terry Brook, 61, walked into the victim's home and struck the woman in front of the eight-year-old child as they were watching a Harry Potter film.

The woman suffered a serious gash to the head during the attack in which Brook hit her repeatedly with the weapon as she screamed for help.

Leeds Crown Court heard the child also screamed and tried to cuddle her mum throughout the attack.

Brook was jailed for two-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to unlawful wounding.

The attack happened on December 30, 2017, at the home where Brook's son lived with his wife and their two children on Belle Isle Close, Belle Isle, Leeds.

Andrew Horton, prosecuting, said the background to the attack was a "family feud".

Brook walked into the property as the victim was in the living room watching a Harry Potter film with her elder daughter.

Brook's son was upstairs putting their three-year-old girl to bed.

Mr Horton said: "He entered the kitchen wearing the balaclava and carrying a wooden bat.

"The defendant approached and took swings at her with the bat."

The prosecutor said the victim immediately recognised her father-in-law through the eye holes of the balaclava and from his "distinctive smell of alcohol and tobacco."

Brook hit the woman at least four times, including a deliberate blow to the head.

She fell to the ground from a blow to her leg.

Mr Horton added: "Throughout the attack the eight-year-old daughter was screaming and cuddling her mum."

Blood spatters landed on a child's rocking chair during the attack.

Brook left after his son armed himself with a brick and went to confront his father.

The victim was "hysterical" after the attack.

Police went to Brook's home and found a balaclava in a wheelie bin outside the property.

Officers also recovered a jacket with had a button missing.

The missing button was found on the floor of the victim's home.

Mr Horton read a victim statement on behalf of the woman.

She described how all members of the family had suffered psychologically due to the incident.

The mum has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and depression.

She said: "It is such a shame because our house used to be a lively, friendly, happy home.

"Now it is just a house where we feel on edge if we hear a strange noise. It shouldn't be like that."

Brook, of Lancastre Avenue, Bramley, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

Andrew Petterson, mitigating, said Brook had not been in trouble in the 15 months since the attack.

He said: "By and large the feud has abated since this incident."

Mr Petterson urged judge Simon Batiste to consider imposing a suspended prison sentence.

Jailing Brook, the judge said: "When someone bursts in to someone else's house armed with a bat and attacks the householder in front of their eight-year-old daughter it is very difficult to justify such a sentence."