Unemployed builder Robert Peel today described how a violent attack on him had devastated his life and left him a shadow of his former self.

The 40-year-old, of Rochester Road, Birstall, suffered a blood clot on the brain and lost one of his upper teeth after he was twice headbutted by neighbour Robert Lees outside his own home late one Friday night six months ago.

He had come to the aid of a woman who was arguing with Lees.

Mr Peel is now fighting for compensation for the injuries he suffered.

At Bradford Crown Court yesterday, Lees, 26, admitted causing Mr Peel grievous bodily harm, but his sentence was adjourned to a date yet to be fixed because of a dispute over the precise details of the incident.

After the hearing Mr Peel said he was no longer the "happy-go-lucky" person he was described as in court.

Instead, he said, he was depressed, bored at being stuck at home unable to work, suffering physical pain, mood swings and now has a poor memory.

He said: "My life has been completely changed by what Lees did to me. The blood clot has healed, but I still suffer from a horrible buzzing in the back of my head and I have to take tablets every day.

"I keep forgetting things which I never used to do before this attack and I don't go out as much. I want to get back into work, but it is going to take a long time.''

He said he was particularly distraught at no longer being able to enjoy his passions for snooker and sky-diving with the same zeal as before.

His love of snooker is reflected in the collection of trophies which take pride of place in the front room of his home he shares with his wife Julia, 42, a part-time packer at Fox's Biscuits in Batley and three of their four children.

Mr Peel said the family were also now struggling to make ends meet with only one wage coming, since he had to give up his job as a self-employed builder following the assault.

"We can't buy the things we want to like before," he said. "We have to save up now and it's driving me crazy. I get very bored staying at home because there is nothing to do, but I can't afford to go out."

In court, prosecutor Tony Kelbrick said a son of Mr Peel had witnessed the incident and saw his father walk up to Lees and his girlfriend, who were arguing.

After some conversation, Lees pushed Mr Peel to the ground and he was helped into the garden by his son.

Lees then came into the garden and headbutted Mr Peel in the face causing him to fall back banging his head on a brick gate post. Lees ran off down the road, but returned again to the garden and this time dived at Mr Peel, headbutting him in the lower part of his face.

Following his arrest a few weeks later Lees claimed that he had headbutted Mr Peel after he grabbed hold of him.

Mr Kelbrick said while there was a witness who saw some pushing and shoving before the first headbutt, the Crown did not accept that Mr Peel had done anything to provoke the second attack.

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