Dad feared for his life as son wielded sword

Mark Heffron

A FORMER professional boxer was left fearing for his life after his son brandished an ornamental samurai sword at him on Valentine’s Day — a court heard.

Mark Heffron (23) was given a 12 month community order, 40 hours of unpaid work and fined £145 after pleading guilty to assualt at Oldham Magistrates Court yesterday.

The incident happened when Mark returned to his dad’s Horsedge Street home — where father Tommy Heffron was looking after his granddaughter — with an expensive watch as a gift for his girlfriend.

Angered after loaning him £1,500 towards the cost of a car and his son not paying him back, a row ensued between Mark and Tommy, the court heard.

A tussle broke out and Mark pushed his father on to a sofa, before brother Ronnie, himself a successful boxer with 17 professional fights under his belt, pulled the feuding pair apart.

Mark then grabbed an ornamental samurai sword from the mantlepiece and wielded it around, making threats towards his father.

It was originally alleged that the sword caught Tommy on the leg causing an indentation but didn’t break the skin, however this was subsequently refuted.

In a victim statement read out in court, Tommy said: “I was scared I would be stabbed and I was concerned about my granddaughter. I’m depressed that he keeps damaging my property every time he comes round to my house.”

Former amateur champion Mark is highly-regarded in the UK now that he boasts a perfect professional record of nine wins from nine fights and is keen to get his career back on track.