Girls Aloud brother spared jail

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The brother of Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole has been given a suspended three-month prison term after admitting attacking a man with pepper spray.

Andrew Tweedy pleaded guilty to common assault and possessing a prohibited weapon during the attack on 13 August last year in Gosforth.

The 29-year-old, of Langhorn Close in Heaton, Newcastle, was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to his victim.

He must also do 100 hours of community service, Newcastle Crown Court ruled.

In 2005 Tweedy was jailed for his part in a robbery in the city.

The court heard Tweedy sprayed the contents of a silver canister into Mr Clark's face and eyes in a "completely unprovoked" attack.

Gavin Doig, prosecuting, described how Clark staggered to a nearby petrol station, half blinded by the spray, and called for the police and ambulance.

'Pretty atrocious'

He was treated by paramedics and taken to Newcastle General Hospital.

In a statement read to the judge, Mr Clark said he did not understand what had caused Tweedy to attack him.

The court heard Tweedy, who described himself as the "black sheep" of his family, had been carrying the pepper spray to protect himself after he was attacked in the city.

His barrister Paul Caulfield said he was "very well known" in Newcastle, and suffered as a result of having a famous sister.

At an earlier hearing, Tweedy pleaded guilty to common assault and possession of a prohibited weapon, the pepper spray.

Judge David Hodson said Tweedy's record - he has been convicted on 30 occasions for 82 separate offences since 1993 - was "pretty atrocious".

Cheryl Cole's spokesperson, Sundraj Sreenivasan, said the singer had "no comment to make" on her brother's sentence.