A FORMER supermarket manager was found guilty of attacking another man but cleared of sexually assaulting him after the complainant claimed he feared he would be raped.

A jury convicted ex-Tesco boss Clayton Moon, of Commercial Street, Newport, of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The 29-year-old was acquitted of sexual assault and another charge of assault occasioning actual bodily after a two-day trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

Judge Niclas Parry warned the defendant that he could be facing a custodial term and adjourned the case until next month so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared.

Prosecutor Kathryn Lane told the jury that Moon had broken the complainant’s wrist in the first suspected assault and had punched, kicked and bitten his face in the other.

He was convicted of the second claimed attack which took place last April.

Miss Lane said that the complainant “thought he (Moon) was going to rape him” and had run across the road to report the allegation at Newport Central police station opposite to where the defendant lived.

He had denied the three charges, maintaining he acted in self-defence in relation to the physical violence allegations and that the sexual assault claim never took place.

The court heard that Moon had worked as a manager with Tesco in Newport.

Miss Lane told the court that he had a previous conviction for violence, an offence of battery from 2016 involving the use of a knife for which he received a community order.

Judge Parry had wanted to sentence the defendant after the jury returned their guilty verdict.

But he was persuaded by Moon’s counsel Suzanne Payne to adjourn the case so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared by the Probation Service.

His barrister said her client suffers from mental health issues which involve depression and anxiety.

Miss Payne told the judge: “The defendant suffered a brain injury after he was kicked by a horse. He spent 15 months in hospital and a rehabilitation unit.”

She added that Moon had applied for a job as a manager with another “retail outlet”.

Judge Parry told the court that a custodial sentence was “likely” and adjourned sentence until Wednesday, February 20.

He granted Moon conditional bail.