A ‘POSSESSED’ man beat up his neighbour after kicking his door in.

Well-built Michael Hill repeatedly punched and kicked Jamie Lewis when he was on the floor at the flats where they had lived in Tredegar.

The 49-year-old beat up his victim after he burst into his room on Monday, January 22.

Prosecutor William Bebb told Cardiff Crown Court: “The victim was saying, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong you know.

“The defendant said to him, ‘I’m going to do you harm today.’

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“He hit Mr Lewis 10 to 15 times before he was grabbed and pulled away by a security guard and another resident.

South Wales Argus: Michael Hill

“The victim was curled up in a ball on the floor.

“The witnesses described the defendant behaving like he was possessed.

“Mr Lewis had a lot of blood on his face and bruising and swelling to one of his eyes.”

The victim did not cooperate with the police.

Hill, of Morgan Street, Tredegar pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and criminal damage.

He was on licence at the time of the attack after being released from prison following a conviction for robbery.

The defendant has 27 previous convictions for 55 offences, including ABH and battery.

Harry Baker representing Hill asked the court to give his client the appropriate credit for his guilty pleas.

“These were fairly minor injuries,” his barrister added.

Judge Simon Mills told Hill: “I’ve got no idea why you did this to Mr Lewis.

“You kicked his door in and beat him up.

“He had no realistic chance of defending himself.

“You are a well-built man and someone who resorts to violence – your previous convictions are an aggravating feature.”

Hill was jailed for nine months for the ABH and a concurrent term of one month for the criminal damage.

The total sentence was nine months in prison.

The defendant will have to pay a £187 victim surcharge following his release from custody.