Former army commando kicked his neighbour in the head and knocked his tooth out in attack over scratched car in Leeds street

Stephen Ainley flew into a rage and grabbed the victim by the throat before attacking him in the street outside his home in Micklefield, near Leeds.

The 61-year-old former army commando was locked up for six months over the "senseless, unjustified violence" on January 5 this year.

Leeds Crown Court heard Ainley only stopped the attack when his wife and another neighbour intervened and dragged him away..

Tim Jacobs, prosecuting, said Ainley and the victim had been neighbours on The Crescent for around eight years and had previously got on well.

Their relationship deteriorated shortly before the incident over cars being scratched in the street.

The attack happened around 2.15pm when Ainley got out the car he had been travelling in with his wife and approached the victim outside his home.

Mr Jacobs said Ainley said to his neighbour: "You have scratched my car."

The neighbour denied causing scratches to the car but the defendant continued to become angry and grabbed him by the throat.

He put his hands on Ainley's chest to push him away but was then punched in the face and knocked to the ground.

Ainley then delivered kicks to the left and right side of the victim's face.

After the attack Ainley said to another neighbour: "I knocked his tooth out."

The neighbour suffered a cut to his right eye which needed four stitches at hospital.

He also lost part of a tooth and had to undergo dental work which cost him around £600.

Ainley pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mark Foley, mitigating, said his client pleaded guilty to the offence at an early stage.

He said Ainley had been wearing yachting shoes when he kicked his neighbour and did not intent to cause serious injury.

Mr Foley said Ainley and the victim had previously got on well and shared gardening tools before the relationship broke down.

The lawyer said the attack happened the day after Ainley had been repairing a scratch to his wife's car outside their home.

Mr Foley said Ainley believed the neighbour was smirking at him as he carried out the work, adding: "He thought he was being laughed at."

Mr Foley continued: "The following day when he saw the neighbour he genuinely assumed that he had done it.

"He explains that he snapped. He walked up to him and reacted impulsively and accepts fully what happened.

"It is a reaction which he deeply, deeply regrets."

The court heard Ainley had been a soldier in the Commando Regiment and had served in Northern Ireland and Cyprus.

Mr Foley said Ainley had received help from the army in past after being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences serving his country.

He said Ainley accepted that he needs to receive further help for anger management issues.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said the offence was so serious that only an immediate prison sentence could be imposed.

He said: "This was senseless, unjustified violence which involved kicking a man when he was down on the floor.

"Your inability to control yourself in January this year is something that causes the court concern."