Victim battered over the head with metal bar in Wolverhampton doorstep attack

John Perry was struck twice after answering a series of loud knocking sounds on the front door of the address in Wright Avenue, Wednesfield, the city's Crown Court heard.

"The noise was so loud he thought the door was being kicked in, " said Mr Jasvir Mann, prosecuting. "He looked out of an upstairs window and saw Aaron Peace, a man he had known for years."

The caller allegedly shouted: 'Come down here now. I am going to kill you'," it was said.

The prosecutor continued: "He went down stairs, opened the front door and was suddenly hit twice to the left side of his head. He saw that the man who struck him had a bar with two claws on the end."

The 39-year-old attacker left without saying anything further, leaving the victim with blood pouring down his face, explained Mr Mann. The victim was taken to hospital where a cut to the left side of his forehead needed seven stitches.

Police investigating the attack arrested Peace - a surveyor - at his home in the same street hours after the incident which happened around 5.10pm on August 19 last year.

A claw hammer and several crowbars were recovered from his van.

Mr Mann concluded: "The only possible explanation that Mr Perry can offer for what happened is that he had recently fallen out with a neighbour who was related to the partner of the defendant."

Miss Leanne Schrouder, defending, said there had been 'ongoing issues' between the two men and maintained Peace launched the attack amid claims that his partner had been chased and verbally abused.

The lawyer continued: "This is why the defendant took the bar with him when he called at the house. He is extremely remorseful over what happened next. It was completely out of character."

Peace from Wright Avenue admitted unlawful wounding and was given a year in jail suspended for 18 months by Judge Advocate(corr) Michael Elsom who told him: "You acted like a complete idiot. In the past you have proved you can live a decent and law abiding life and people like you do not go out and do something like this without reason.

"I accept that something drove you to do something totally out of character even though most people would not understand how it came to that."