A THUG who beat up his sister before threatening to burn her house down after a row over using a mobile phone turned violent has been spared jail.

Shawn Trinder, formerly of Wenman Road, Witney, had already admitted assault by beating, threatening to cause criminal damage and causing criminal damage.

The 22-year old sobbed throughout his sentencing hearing at Oxford Crown Court yesterday as prosecutors recalled the incident during a family get-together on May 23.

The court heard that Trinder had asked his brother to use a mobile phone as well as a Playstation and had been refused.

This slight sparked him into a rage and when his sister tried to intervene he launched an attack on her involving repeated punches while she held her arms to her head.

He later threatened he would 'burn her house down' the court heard, with her and her partner inside before going on to visit her home and throwing bricks at her partner's car, smashing a windscreen.

In a victim personal statement read to the court Tinder's sister said that the defendant had acted 'like a spoilt child' and a 'bully' but added that they had once had a very close relationship.

In mitigation, Lucy Ffrench read out a letter from her client which said he 'loved his family with all his heart' and apologised profusely for his behaviour.

Sentencing Judge Ian Pringle QC said: "This sort of behaviour is totalling and utterly unacceptable and it is not in fact the first time you have behaved like that."

Trinder was made subject to a community order and must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and obey a three-month curfew. He is also banned from Witney for six months.