A WORCESTER man who hit the headlines when he became a kidney donor has been jailed for a " frenzied" attack on a man he found at the home of his estranged wife.

Wes Joyce, aged 36, had been drinking during the day and went to his wife's home in Ronkswood, in the early hours of February 19 this year hoping for a reconciliation, Worcester Crown Court heard.

But his wife had been out socialising and had invited Luke Stephens, a man she knew from work, back to her home for a drink, Paul Cook, prosecuting, told the court.

Joyce became "enraged" and asked him what he was doing there with his wife before launching the assault.

Mr Stephens fled into a bedroom and tried to protect himself by rolling into a ball on the floor but Joyce rained down kicks and blows on him, Mr Cook said.

Mr Stephens was covered in blood and there was blood spattered around the room, he said.

Mr Stephens managed to escape and police were called.

They found Joyce, a former soldier and Worcester City footballer, sitting on a sofa.

"It was apparent immediately there had been a significant disturbance," Mr Cook said.

Mr Stephens suffered damage to his teeth and bruising. A footprint from Joyce's shoe was found on his head.

Joyce told police he had drunk about 20 bottles of alcohol during the day.

Niall Skinner, defending, said Joyce had reacted badly to a situation he didn't expect to see.

"Things happen in life whether you like it or not and you don't automatically respond with fists and violence but that's what he did," Mr Skinner said.

He said Joyce, a father of four, was genuinely remorseful and there were now hopes of a reconciliation with his wife.

He was a qualified crane operator and would be very likely to get work on his release, he said.

Joyce, of Bridge Street, Ledbury, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The court heard he had been jailed in 2005 for wounding.

He donated a kidney in 2014 to Sally-Anne Grainger following an appeal in the Worcester News.

Recorder Benjamin Nicholls said Joyce was at an age when he should know better.

He said there were aspects of his character which did him great credit, particularly donating his kidney to give "possibly the chance of life itself." But his behaviour had been "utterly appalling" in the attack.

"You were at that time living apart from your wife and she was perfectly entitled to go out with someone else and invite him home for a drink," he told Joyce. "You were hoping for a reconciliation but when you saw your place had been supplanted by another man instead of walking away, you just lost it, to use a common expression."

He said Joyce had rained down kicks and blows in a "frenzied" attack which included dangerous kicks to the head.

The assault had had an ongoing effect on Mr Stephens, he said.

Joyce was jailed for two years, minus the six months he has already spent in custody on remand.