A MAN was rushed to hospital after he had a bottle smashed over his head in an Ipswich pub, a jury was told.Matthew Saunders had been drinking at the Giles Tavern in Princes Street, when the incident happened.

A MAN was rushed to hospital after he had a bottle smashed over his head in an Ipswich pub, a jury was told.

Matthew Saunders had been drinking at the Giles Tavern in Princes Street, when the incident happened.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that Mr Saunders had tried to break up a fight when he was hit over the head with a beer bottle.

He was taken to Ipswich Hospital by ambulance where a cut to his eyebrow was sewn up with five stitches.

Lindsay Cox prosecuting said: "Mr Saunders had been out with friends when an abusive man confronted him and said words to the effect of "get out of my face". Mr Saunders ignored the man but later saw him approach the court defendant Jason Hunter in an offensive manner".

Mr Cox said; "The defendant's response was to aim a blow at the mans throat. Mr Saunders saw there was trouble and thought he would break it up. He stood between the two men and pushed them apart, but the defendants reaction was to lash out with his fist which was holding a bottle and struck Mr Saunders on the head".

The court heard that the incident allegedly happened on December 1, 2001, but Hunter, 30, of Winterton Close, Ipswich, was not arrested till February this year.

Hunter told police he remembered the incident, but denied causing Mr Saunders actual bodily harm and said he acted in self-defence.

He said the abusive man was Ricky Clarke who had regularly "wound him at the pub". He said: "Mr Clarke had attacked him and he saw Mr Saunders was about to hit him, so he struck out in self-defence".

The trial continues.