A LONG-RUNNING row between neighbours over nuisance noise erupted into a fight in which a man was violently punched and lost his eye, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Lucy Brown said victim Martin Hall and his long-term partner Julie Sutcliffe had made numerous reports to police over noise made by their neighbour on Whitehead Place in Fagley, Bradford, Lauren Aldridge.

Miss Brown said that on July 27 last year, Miss Sutcliffe had called the police about noise coming from Miss Aldridge’s home, telling officers she was having to restrain her partner from going around to the house.

The court was told that the noise continued until around 4am the next day, leaving Miss Sutcliffe feeling “suicidal” and “ at her wits’ end.”

On his way to work at around 6am, Mr Hall went to speak to Miss Aldridge and having received no reply upon knocking, kicked her door open.

In the house, he saw Miss Aldridge sat with two men, Kyle Palmer and Jordan Foster, both 25.

Miss Brown said that Mr Hall accepted being angry and confrontational, shouting at his neighbour.

At that point, the court heard that Palmer punched Mr Hall to the eye, with Foster landing a blow to his face.

As Mr Hall stumbled around the house, the pair tried to give him first-aid, bathing his eye before police arrived.

All three men were initially arrested, with Mr Hall released after giving officers his account of the incident.

He received hospital treatment for his injuries, which included a “ruptured right eyeball.”

Despite attempts by surgeons to save his sight, doctors were left with “no option” but to remove his damaged eyeball on August 14.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Hall said his injury now made “day-to-day life very difficult”, leading to him taking anti-depressant medication and seeking counselling.

Miss Brown said that Mr Hall accepted that neither of the two defendants were aware of the long-standing feud with his neighbour, and had not known who he was when he burst into the house.

Palmer, of Sunbridge Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, with Foster, of Livingstone Road, Bradford, admitting common assault.

Jayne Beckett, for Palmer, said the two men had been drinking at Miss Aldridge’s house when they were confronted by a “very, very angry man.”

She said the pair had no idea of the long-running row, and “could never have expected the awful consequences that followed.”

She added that both men had tried to assist and provide first-aid to Mr Hall after the assault, something which had been acknowledged by the victim.

Judge David Hatton QC told the defendants: “This is indeed a tragic case, not least to your victim. The circumstances were that he had undoubtedly reached the end of his tether with the woman next door and barged into her house to confront her.

“He was assaulted by the pair of you. The consequences to him have been utterly devastating. But, I accept that neither of you were aware of the background, or had the slightest notion as to why he was entering the house, and acted instinctively to protect the woman.

“It was one punch, administered by you Kyle Palmer, that caused the damage, for which I imagine you will never forgive yourself.”

Palmer was jailed for eight months, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 31 rehabilitation activity days and a six-month curfew.

Foster was given a 12-month community order with a two-month curfew.