A DAD who hit his neighbour over the head with a claw hammer outside a Bromsgrove school was told by a judge he could have easily have killed his victim and will likely be jailed.

Kevin Smith admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon (a claw hammer) when he appeared before a district judge at Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday (February 1).

The court heard how the 52-year-old hit his neighbour over the head with the hammer outside Charford First School in the town when children were present on Friday, January 29.

Smith, who is from Bromsgrove but gave a bail address of Chepstow Road, Caldicot, Monmouthshire, had been involved in a dispute with his neighbour over tree branches being trimmed and falling onto one another’s property said Mr Johnson, prosecuting.

Mr Johnson said the two men had formed a ‘positive dislike’ for one another.

He added: “The injured party has gone to pick his daughter up from school and sees the defendant walking towards him.”

Mr Johnson said the defendant then insulted the injured party who told him to ‘grow up’.

He said: “He approaches the injured party with a claw hammer which he takes from the sleeve of his coat and takes a swing to the back of the injured party’s head.

“This was a complete surprise and came out of the blue, causing the injured party to stagger back towards his car.

“He kept on swinging the hammer in an aggressive manner towards the injured party. There was blood pouring down the back of his neck. There was a number of other people about as there was a football match.

“He has gone to hospital and was treated for the injury to his head, described as a cut to the back of his head the size of a 50p piece. He was treated at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and received three stitches.”

Mr Johnson said the hammer was thrown over a fence and later retrieved by a police officer.

Robert Skinner, defending, said: “The defendant defecated himself. That is relevant to the reason he had the hammer with him in the first place.

“The defendant was in fear of and had felt intimidated and threatened by the complainant.”

District judge Nigel Cadbury said: “Hitting someone over the head with a hammer could quite easily kill them. It’s a serious matter. There is a realistic likelihood of you receiving a prison sentence.”

The case was adjourned until the next hearing at Worcester Crown Court on March 4. The judge ordered a full report to be prepared in the meantime.

Smith was granted bail to the address in Monmouthshire supplied to the court.

He was ordered not to enter Bromsgrove as part of his bail conditions and to keep out of Worcestershire except for the purpose of visiting his solicitor by prior appointment.