A BETRAYED Ipswich decorator attacked his wife's lover with an iron bar after nearly five years of deceit, a court heard.Ipswich Crown Court heard how 39-year-old Robert Ward broke the arm of his wife's lover Michael Kerry after he called at Ward's mobile home "to sort things out".

A BETRAYED Ipswich decorator attacked his wife's lover with an iron bar after nearly five years of deceit, a court heard.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how 39-year-old Robert Ward broke the arm of his wife's lover Michael Kerry after he called at Ward's mobile home "to sort things out".

A jury heard how mother-of-three, Donna Ward, of Weyland Road, Witnesham, spent almost five years flitting between her husband and lover Mr Kerry.

On the night of the alleged attack Mr Kerry, a former partner of the Silver Star pub, arrived at the Foxhall caravan park with friend Kevin Taylor and Donna Ward's brothers Shane and Mark Langan.

Mark Langan told the court: "It was about 11pm. I was worried about Donna's safety. The situation had gone on for too long. Each time she flitted between them I got a call from her. I was fed up and wanted to sort it out."

Mr Kerry parked his BMW at Low House caravan park on Bucklesham Road and knocked on the caravan window disturbing Robert and Donna Ward.

Mr Langan, 34, went on: "There was a heated discussion inside the caravan, Donna came out first and started swearing at Mick (Michael Kerry) and all of a sudden Ward ran forward brandishing an iron bar. I saw him bring it down on Mick. He put his hand out to protect himself."

Pc James Wilcox told the court a length of steel pipe had been recovered at his caravan.

But Ward's defence counsel claimed Michael Kerry had gone to the caravan park "mob handed", to scare Ward and his wife.

Defender Robert Overbury said: "It wasn't necessary for all four men to go that night. Donna Ward was terrified of Michael Kerry."

He called Mark Langan, who has previous convictions for assaulting a police officer in 1992, affray in 1996 and affray in 2000: "a useful bit of muscle."

Robert Ward, who denies causing grievous bodily harm, told the court he had heard from his estranged wife, a cleaner at Nuffield Hospital, earlier in the day.

He said: "She asked me to pick her up because she needed to get away from Kerry. I took her back to the caravan. I wanted to help her. At 11pm I heard a banging on the window and there were four blokes outside. I was in a sheer panic. I tried to phone the police but Donna didn't want to get her brothers into trouble."

In the ensuing fight, in which Ward claims Mr Kerry fractured his arm falling over the A frame of the caravan, he said he was hit in the face and the back of the neck.

The fight ended when a neighbour who owned a lurcher dog intervened with the site supervisor.

Ward added he and his wife were back together. When asked if his wife would be giving evidence in court, Ward replied: "She's in hiding. She's scared of Kerry and his family."

The case continues.