IPSWICH: A chef who swung a golf club at a man’s arm causing a cut which needed 13 stitches has walked free from court after being given a suspended prison sentence.

Claydon Worrell, 34, had gone to his car and armed himself with the golf club after he heard a bottle smashing behind him as he left the Inkerman pub in Norwich Road, Ipswich, the town’s crown court heard.

Worrell had then gone towards David Tooke, who had thrown the bottle, and had swung the club at his arm.

The attack left Mr Tooke with a cut that measured 6cm across and was 1cm deep. The wound needed 13 stitches, said Godfried Duah, prosecuting.

After hitting Mr Tooke, Worrell had swung the golf club at a taxi causing �350 damage.

Worrell, of Spenser Road, Ipswich admitted unlawfully wounding Mr Tooke and criminal damage to the taxi on November 21 last year.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, was ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work in the community and told to pay �1,500 compensation to Mr Tooke when he appeared for sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

Sentencing him, Judge Peter Fenn said that on the evening in question Worrell had gone to the Inkerman pub with a friend who was the DJ. Mr Tooke had also been at the pub and had become upset after an argument with his partner.

There had also been a minor incident when Mr Tooke had pushed Worrell’s friend out of the way.

Outside the pub Mr Tooke was seen with a knife, bottle or a hammer and Mr Tooke admitted picking up a bottle which was smashed on the ground, said Judge Fenn.

He said that instead of getting in his car and driving off when he heard the glass smashing behind him, Worrell had armed himself with the golf club and attacked Mr Tooke and the taxi.

Martyn Levett for Worrell said Mr Tooke had been acting in an aggressive way inside the pub and was seen to be armed with a bottle, knife or hammer outside.

He said Worrell, who is a chef, was the subject of “considerable provocation”.

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