A BUILDER'S sledgehammer attack on an alleged child abuser put him in the dock at York Crown Court facing a two-year jail term.

Judge Trevor Kent-Jones said that only the fact that Leslie Wilcox's severely disabled daughter needed his care saved him from serving the prison sentence, and suspended it for two years.

The girl was not involved in the sex allegation and the Crown Prosecution Service has since dropped a charge of indecent assault against the hammer attack victim.

The judge said that the 43-year-old builder had taken his 19-year-old son, Craig Leslie Wilcox, and another man on a deliberate expedition to find the alleged sex offender and when he found him, dragged him through his car windows and broke his arm with a sledgehammer.

Both Wilcoxes had kicked their victim.

"Nothing can justify that," said the judge.

Earlier he had said: "However upset and angry a person is against an alleged criminal of whatever type, that person cannot take upon himself the role of law enforcer or agent of vengeance or punishment. That sort of conduct belongs to the Early Middle Ages or the Wild West." He ordered the father to pay £2,500 compensation to the attack victim and £500 prosecution costs.

The father, of Rockingham Avenue, Tang Hall, York, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and criminal damage. The son, of New Walk Orchard, St Oswald's Road, York, admitted actual bodily harm and was ordered to do 150 hours' community punishment. Neither had previous convictions.

For the father, Andrew Stranex said he bitterly regretted his actions. He had acted after hearing child abuse allegations about the victim, who had not mentioned the attack to police until after his own arrest the same day.

For the son, Nicholas Barker said he had no idea his father was looking for the victim when they left work together. He had stopped his part in the attack when his father started using the hammer and had since left his job at the family building business. He regretted his actions and hoped to join the army.

The victim, a teenager, was charged with indecent assault on another teenager and the charge was later dropped.

Updated: 09:40 Saturday, September 21, 2002