Man jailed indefinitely after beating neighbour with golf club in noise row

Victim Jason Lister had only moved into a flat in Wentworth Drive, South Kirkby, near Pontefract, with his partner and two-year-old son the day before the attack, which has left him with some permanent loss of hearing.

That night loud music from the flat above woke the child and he went upstairs to speak to the occupants and tell them to turn it down.

James Lake, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday that Maureen Keeley answered the door and he told her the music was too loud.

She was in a relationship with Ian Woofinden and when she went back into her flat told him what had been said. They had been drinking during the day and he said he was going to have a word with the neighbour.

A friend, David Middleton, who was also present, followed him down, fearing trouble. When he got there he saw Woofinden in a confrontation with Mr Lister.

The pair were arguing face to face, swearing at each other until Woofinden butted Mr Lister, who punched him back. There was then a scuffle and Mr Middleton separated the pair, said Mr Lake.

Mr Lister turned to walk back into his flat and then Woofinden picked up a metal golf club he had secreted around the corner and swung it straight down onto his head.

His victim fell to the floor bleeding, lying half in and half out of the doorway. Mr Middleton, who described the club as being like a putter, said he thought Mr Lister was dead.

The injured man's partner saw blood was coming from his head and phoned for help. Meanwhile Woofinden returned upstairs where he was later arrested.

Mr Lake said Mr Lister was taken to Pinderfields Hospital where he was found to also be bleeding from his left ear and under the laceration on his scalp a depressed fracture was seen on a CT scan and there was evidence of air leaking into his brain.

He was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary where he had an operation to relieve the fracture. He discharged himself on April 26 but will have some permanent loss of hearing in his left ear.

Woofinden, 44, of Ash Grove, South Elmsall, admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and was given an indeterminate jail sentence for public protection.

Judge Rodney Grant told him "Mr Lister had turned his back and was walking away from you and was therefore defenceless when you reached for the golf club you had taken with you and put out of sight, you then struck him a very violent blow."

He had not summoned help or tried to assist him before leaving the scene. He ordered Woofinden to serve a minimum of two years 112 days, but said he would only be released when no longer considered a risk.

David Tyrer for Woofinden said he was shocked at the injury he had caused in drink. He had taken the club in case he found himself in danger.