A DAD who attacked two thieves raiding his ­business was put on trial yesterday.

Dad faces jail time for bashing thieves with fence post

Andrew Woodhouse, 44, could face years in jail if found guilty of assault while the raiders were fined just £75 each.
Woodhouse who runs a gardening business, chased the thieves across a field after seeing them stealing cans of diesel from his crime-plagued premises.
He caught Kevin Green, 53, grabbed a fence post the raider was brandishing and battered him with it, breaking both legs and an arm, a jury heard.
The dad-of-five then rugby-tackled Timothy Cross, 32, and held him until police came. When they asked Green what had happened, he said: “I was nicking diesel and some bloke has beaten me up with a stick and broken my legs and my arm. I need an ambulance.”

Woodhouse, of Abergavenny, Gwent, later told police: “I swung out between six and 10 times. I was just lashing out, man, I was hitting as hard as I could.”
James Wilson, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “It was not reasonable self-defence. Mr Woodhouse went over the top.”
Woodhouse denies grievous ­bodily harm and GBH with intent.
The trial continues.