A walker in the UK was up in court for reportedly assaulting a farmer, after being asked to wait while the farmer moved his sheep.

The incident took place in the Lake District – a mountainous region in north-west England – according to UK publication The Telegraph.

28-year-old gym owner and personal trainer Karl Page avoided jail following a sitting of Carlisle Crown Court on Friday last (January 12).

The farmer in question, Robin Taylforth, was left with multiple facial fractures after being punched by Page, according to the British publication.

The court purportedly heard that Page and his girlfriend were believed to be having an argument last May in the Patterdale region as Taylforth was herding ewes and lambs back to his farm.

Taylforth asked the couple to wait as he took his flock across a cattle grid and told Page to “use a bit of common sense”, The Telegraph reports.

Following an exchange of words, Page purportedly punched the farmer in the face, fracturing his eye socket in three places – as well as inflicting a displaced fracture to his left cheekbone, it is reported.

Page is believed to have told police he had not heard what Taylforth had shouted at the time of the incident and recalled feeling “threatened and intimidated”.

The defendant reportedly accepted that it didn’t excuse what he did and he had done “completely the wrong thing”; he admitted to causing grievous bodily harm in the incident.

After the encounter, Taylworth allegedly reported having difficulty sleeping and feels “apprehensive” speaking to members of the public passing through his farm. He also said he had to bring in external employment to provide assistance for work he could not do.

Page received an eight-month prison sentence – suspended for two years – and was ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation to Taylworth.

He was also given a five-month night-time curfew, The Telegraph added. According to The Mail, Page was described as “deeply remorseful” and – having been shown images of Taylworth’s injuries – “felt sick he might have done that to somebody”.