A man who smashed a former friend in the face with the full force of a baseball bat has been jailed for 12 months.

Daniel Hames pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Terry Pocock in Ipswich town centre on October 10 last year.

Hames, 29, denied a further count of possession an offensive weapon in a public place. The allegation was left to lay on file.

Prosecutor Michael Crimp said it was early in the evening when Mr Pocock was in the Cattlemarket after walking from Turret Lane to meet friends.

Mr Pocock saw Hames who told him he was upset with him.

Mr Crimp said Hames was holding a baseball bat and kept prodding it towards Mr Pocock’s face.

Hames, who had 14 previous convictions for 49 offences, was said to have mentioned something about a pushbike and told Mr Pocock he wanted to hurt him.

Mr Pocock told Hames if he wanted to hit him, then to go ahead.

The court was told Hames then swung the bat as hard as he could towards his victim’s face connecting with the left eye, left-hand side of nose and cheekbone.

Blood began pouring from Mr Pocock’s face and he collapsed against railings while Hames ran off.

As a result of the attack Mr Pocock was taken to hospital with bruises, cuts, a fracture to his nose and needed eight stitches, before discharging himself against medical advice.

Paul Donegan, representing Hames, said over the past 18 months his client’s four-year-old son had died, his relationship had broken up, and he had moved to Ipswich to be with his mother who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and has since died.

Hames had allowed Pocock to live at his premises.

Mr Donegan said Hames was depressed and drinking too much. The pair fell out over friends and Mr Pocock was asked to leave.

Judge David Goodin told Hames: “You are going to be 30 in March, old enough to know better. Indeed at this point in your life you always have known better than to resort to violence.

“You have had more thrown at you in terms of suffering than many have to deal with.

“The death of a four-year-old son is unimaginable to most of us. The ensuing death of your mother particularly I take account of.

“While you were in custody you were prevented from getting out for her funeral leaves you with some grieving to do.”