Oswestry neighbour in hammer case avoids prison

An Oswestry noisy neighbour who used a claw hammer to attack a man who complained about the constant din has avoided an immediate jail term at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Liam Stewart, 30, hit Darren Glover in the face with the hammer after a dispute last August at flats in Swan Lane.

Mr Glover suffered cuts to his face, which have left scars and which prosecutors said had dented his confidence.

Stewart, who had admitted unlawful wounding at an earlier hearing, was yesterday given 12 months in jail, suspended for two years.

The court heard Mr Glover lived in a flat above the defendant and had complained about noises 'at all hours of the day' for three months before the attack.

Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said the attack happened after Mr Glover's friend had been to Stewart's flat to ask him to stop making noises during which a window was smashed.

Mr Danny Smith, for Stewart, said his client has Asperger's Syndrome and did not react well to having his routine disrupted when his window got smashed.

He said: "There was some degree of provocation."

Passing sentence, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones, said: "This was a most serious offence. There is residual cosmetic damage the victim's face."