A jilted man was attacked with a clawhammer by a love rival during a drunken attempt to win his ex-wife back, a court heard on Friday.

John Martin flipped on the day his divorce was finalised and barged into a house and began making death threats.

He bit Thomas Lakin's face and yanked out some of his hair before Mr Lakin smashed him on the head with a hammer, causing a wound which needed 10 stitches, prosecutor Tim Hannam told Worcester Crown Court.

Father-of-two Martin, of Laurel Close, Mayfields, Redditch, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Sentencing him to two years' probation, Recorder William Davis QC said: "People are getting divorced all the time - but you attacked someone in his own home. This was wicked behaviour."

He said if there had been any hint of violence on Martin's previous record he would have gone to jail.

Martin, 24, was under a court order to keep away from his wife, Teresa, but on March 1 drank eight pints of beer and a litre of whisky, said Mr Hannam.

He arrived at her home in Belbroughton Close, Lodge Park, at 11pm but she rejected his plea to get back together.

He threatened to bite Mr Lakin's nose off, then bit him above his right eye, on a thumb and on his body.

Martin was pushed outside but he kicked a porch door in and got back inside when Mr Lakin armed himself with the hammer.

Mr Hannam said Martin was repeatedly told to leave but was hit on the head after more aggression.

Mr Lakin escaped from the house and alerted police from a neighbour's home.

The defendant had received his divorce papers that day which put him under intense stress, said Joanna Evans, defending.

He was under the influence of a cocktail of drink and drugs and could recall few of the events.

Since then, he had fought his heroin addiction and there was little risk of him reoffending in the future.

He had previous convictions for damage and dishonesty.

The recorder ordered him to take part in a drug group work programme.