A DRUNKEN man attacked his victim with a pool cue and wine bottle when an argument descended into violence.

Samual Pollard got into the violent dispute with the man who lived in the same block of flats as his brother when he was visiting him for a boozing session.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the trouble flared on August 7 last year and CCTV captured the moment Pollard struck the man with the bottle and with the pool cue he had wrested away from his victim.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said: "The CCTV captures the assault but it doesn't capture the damage to the life but as he pleaded guilty, there is no dispute about that.

"What is seen on the CCTV is the defendant armed with a bottle of alcohol and pool cue and as he comes into the shot he and the victim have hold of the pool cue on either side, the defendant is the aggressor and strikes out at him with the bottle.

"There's a third man in the footage, who at one point is seen to try to get between the two of them, but it is the defendant who continues to be the aggressor and again comes towards him and threaten him with the pool cue and strike him with the bottle."

Pollard, of Gill Street, Guisborough, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

The court heard how he smashed the control button on the lift in the block of flats in Guisborough causing £365 worth of damage at Helmsley House..

Chris Morrison, in mitigation, said his client had endured some provocation but that did not excuse his violent reaction.

"It comes as no surprise to the defence that the complainant was unwilling to make a statement or willing to engage with the police when they came because the circumstance, the behaviours that lead the victim and my client to that hallway are not entirely without any sort of blame on behalf of the complainant," he said.

"Unfortunately the day was disturbed by the complainant, who in the period leading up to this, had not only attended and disturbed the brother, he had also made threats to the family of both of the brothers – it is that which unfortunately put this incident on the trajectory it did.

"There was a large element of provocation in this matter."

Judge Recorder Bryan cox QC sentenced Pollard to 15 months in custody, suspended for two years.

He said: "This was a very unpleasant assault, it was aggravated by the fact you used weapons, particularly the bottle, and it was aggravated by the fact it was a sustained attack which must have been very frightening for the complainant.

"Although, you are not heavily convicted for offences of violence, you do have a previous conviction for battery."

The defendant was also ordered to perform 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and placed under curfew between 7pm and 7am for three months.