A Bolton News photographer was assaulted outside court by a man whose picture he was trying to take.

Jason Hart denied attacking Paul Sterritt at Bury Magistrates Court last July but the same court found him guilty on Tuesday.

Hart was appearing at the Bury court in relation to an offence of perjury dating back to June 2006.

Mr Sterritt told the court: “I said to him ‘Hello Jason, Bolton News’ and tried to take a picture of him.

“I happened to glance over my camera and the man launched at me and I could see his hands up.

“I moved backwards because my camera was against my eye and could have shattered my glasses and I did not want to be blinded.”

Mr Sterritt added that Hart swore at him and made contact with the camera which hit him in the chest and hurt his wrist.

Hart, 33, formerly from Farnworth near Bolton, said that the two men collided but denied that it was assault.

Hart is currently serving a two-year sentence for the perjury offence and conning people out of £23,500 by selling items on eBay which he did not have.

Bury Magistrates Court sentenced him to one month in prison to run concurrently with his current sentence.