AN angry ex-boyfriend barged into the home of his former partner and carried out a frenzied metal bar attack on a man he found inside.

Josh Rutherford called at the Consett home of the woman at 8am one morning.

Durham Crown Court heard his ex split with him weeks earlier, blaming his increased drug use.

Jane Waugh, prosecuting, said Rutherford had sent his former partner offensive messages and told her not to sleep with anyone else.

When she came down to answer the door, that morning, he barged past, carrying the bar, and ignored her shouts of: “Don’t you dare,” as he ran up the stairs.

Miss Waugh said Rutherford struck the man in the bed five times to the head and body, shouting “whack” with each blow, while his ex-partner was also injured as she tried to intervene.

She shouted for help to her soldier brother, sleeping in another room, and he led Rutherford from the house.

Although he later denied it, others present said he appeared under the influence of cocaine.

The male victim needed stitches to scalp wounds, while the injured woman suffered heavy bruising.

Rutherford, 25, of Rushcliffe, Sunderland, who is of previous good character, was arrested days later.

He admitted aggravated burglary, assault causing actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon, at a previous hearing.

Alex Burns, mitigating, who presented character testimonials to the court, said the attack was “genuinely a crime of passion,” as Rutherford struggled to overcome the break-up.

He said the defendant has sought help for his anger management issues, while his actions have cost the twice former apprentice of the year’ his plastering job.

Jailing him for six years, Judge Simon Hickey put a restraining order in place preventing Rutherford approaching or trying to contact either victim, “until further order”.