A businessman has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he attacked a neighbour with a metal pole following a parking dispute.

Daviid Cleator and his neighbour had been involved in a verbal argument days before assault.

Cleator, 41, appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Wednesday for sentencing after admitting to assault causing actual bodily harm.

The quarrel boiled over on December 2 last year when the neighbour approached Cleator outside his home in Snugborough Avenue in Union Mills.

Prosecutor Hazel Carroon told the court Cleator thought he was going to be attacked so he grabbed a metal pole from his work van and hit his neighbour over the head.

Fearing retaliation, Cleator then rugby tackled the neighbour before punching him in the head two or three times.

Cleator then drove off but was arrested a short while later near Creg-Ny-Baa. Meanwhile, the victim was taken to hospital after suffering cuts and bruises to his head and face.

In a victim impact statement, the neighbour outlined what impact the assault had on him.

He said: ‘I was told I was lucky not to have suffered brain damage or worse. When I saw the photos of my injuries it was horrible, and they haunt me to this day.

‘I have been scarred both physically and mentally and I struggle to look at myself in the mirror. I now feel like I am a prisoner in my own home and in my own head.’

Ms Carroon accepted Cleator’s basis of plea that the initial attack with the metal pole was an act of self-defence.

In his basis of plea, Cleator also said the pole was from a vacuum cleaner which was aluminium so ‘light and hollow’.

But he did accept he went too far when he rugby tackled the victim and then punched him in the face while on the ground.

In mitigation, defence advocate Michael Jelski emphasised the basis of plea had been accepted by the prosecution which meant it was borderline whether the offence crossed the custody threshold.

Mr Jelski added: ‘My client’s remorse is genuine, and he has not been in trouble for some considerable time.

‘He runs his own business and is a father of two young children. There have been no further incidents since this happened.

He said Cleator had since moved away from the area and now lives in Ramsey.

Deemster Graeme Cook also accepted the basis of plea that the initial use of the metal pole was self-defence but said ‘it was ‘a step too far’ to then rugby tackle the victim and punch him on the ground.

Cleator was handed a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to pay the victim £1,000 in compensation and costs of £250.