A JEALOUS husband who barged into a flat and punched and kicked a man he mistakenly thought was having an affair with his wife has the threat of jail looming over him today.

A JEALOUS husband who barged into a flat and punched and kicked a man he mistakenly thought was having an affair with his wife has the threat of jail looming over him today.

South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard that Gareth Bevan, of Silk Mill Close, Hadleigh, believed his wife was having an affair with a man called Peter who worked as a security manager after reading text messages on her mobile phone.

Naomi Turner, prosecuting, said he went to the block of flats in Dyke Street, Ipswich, where he believed the man lived, and tricked another resident into letting him in through the front door by saying he was there to carry out maintenance work.

Once inside he looked at names on mail boxes and found one of the flats was occupied by someone with the name Peter.

He knocked on the door of the flat and when a man answered, he barged his way in and punched the unsuspecting man in the face.

He then asked the man, a 57-year-old, if he worked in security, and when the man told him he did not, he continued to punch him until the victim told him there must have been a case of mistaken identity.

Bevan then left and was later arrested.

Graham Skippen, mitigating, told Friday's hearing that Bevan had admitted what he had done at the first opportunity, and as soon as he realised he had got the wrong person he was extremely remorseful.

Bevan, who pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, was told by magistrate Dawn Girling: “We must consider a custodial sentence. The likelihood is you will probably be going to prison.”

Bevan was released on unconditional bail until September 14 when he will be sentenced.