PAUL Ingman savagely attacked his neighbour in a drunken rage after he taunted him with claims that he was sleeping with his girlfriend, a court was told.

The neighbour was pulled from a sofa in his home, in Silverston Way, Malmesbury, by his hair and was punched repeatedly in the face and then kicked on the floor before he managed to crawl out of his house.

Ingman was arrested, but as he was being taken to the police station he spat into the face, eyes and mouth of a police officer.

Ingman, 43, pleaded guilty and was convicted at Chippenham Magistrates Court last Thursday of common assault and assaulting a police officer

Prosecutor Rachel Hume said Ingman and two other people started drinking at their neighbour's house at 4.15pm on May 27. She said the neighbour drank three or four pints, but alleged that Ingman had ten bottles of lager and was very drunk.

The three men started talking about Ingman's girlfriend, who occasionally slept at the neighbour's house when Ingman threw her out.

The prosecutor said Ingman started shouting at his neighbour that his intentions were "less than honourable."

He then leapt from his chair grabbing his neighbour so hard by the hair he pulled a lump of it out.

She told the court he brutally beat his neighbour before putting his hand around his throat and squeezing.

The court heard that the neighbour had major swelling to his forehead, nose and throat, which restricted his breathing.

A police officer found the neighbour covered in blood. He found Ingman on the toilet inside the house.

Tim Hammick, defending, said Ingman lives in a cul-de-sac and the only way to leave his home is past his neighbour's door.

He said the neighbour taunted him about his girlfriend.

He said: "Ingman acknowledges he was extremely drunk at the time."

The magistrates sentenced Ingman to a curfew for three months from 6pm to 6am every day, during which time he will be electronically tagged.

They also ordered him to pay £100 compensation to the neighbour and £30 to the police officer.