A FORMER drug addict who punched his neighbour unconscious and kicked his dog into the air has avoided jail.Jeffrey Endersby, who wore a distinctive Mohican hairstyle when he was arrested in August, convinced an Ipswich judge he had turned over a new leaf.

A FORMER drug addict who punched his neighbour unconscious and kicked his dog into the air has avoided jail.

Jeffrey Endersby, who wore a distinctive Mohican hairstyle when he was arrested in August, convinced an Ipswich judge he had turned over a new leaf.

Charles Kellett, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court said that on August 27 teenage scooter and moped riders were using the speed bumps in Bloomfield Street, Ipswich as launch pads at 3am.

One resident, Steven Grant, shouted at the boys from his window and noticed Endersby near his car. Mr Kellett said Mr Grant saw Endersby was part of the commotion and confronted him outside with his dog.

Mr Kellett said: “Mr Grant felt a punch to his left cheek and was rendered unconscious.

“His partner saw fists strike while he was on the ground and she shouted for the male to stop.

“The defendant was seen to kick the dog hard in its side. It went up in the air and landed with a whimper.”

The court heard that Endersby believed he was the victim of assault as he had been trying to prevent the scooter mayhem when Mr Grant began his verbal abuse.

Endersby was taken to Ipswich Police Station where two tinfoil wraps of cannabis and a cannabis grinder were found in his possession.

During a search Endersby struggled and he kicked an officer in the face while he tried to restrain his legs.

Endersby, of Bloomfield Street, pleaded guilty to causing Mr Grant actual bodily harm, to assaulting the police officer and to possessing cannabis.

Charles Myatt, mitigating, said that although his client had a criminal record he had managed his drug addiction and mental health problems without offending since 2002 when he was found in possession of drugs.

He added that Endersby had spent about five months on remand in custody and was currently drug free for the first time since he was 14-years-old.

Mr Myatt said that Endersby was annoyed on the night in question because he thought he was “being a hero in the situation” and he had kicked the officer because the police were heavy handed when restraining him.

Judge Peter Thompson said Mr Myatt had persuaded him to pass a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years.

The defendant was also placed on probation supervision for two years and an offender substance and abuse programme and told to do 150 hours unpaid work for the community.

He was warned that any breach would result in prison.