Two men were seen congratulating each other after attacking a patient at a mental health unit, a court has heard.

During the assault Dean Richmond was seen on CCTV to hit the victim with a cup while Jon Parrish took a run at him and kicked him in the head, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

As a result of the attack the victim, who was a patient at the Woodlands mental health unit, pictured, at Ipswich Hospital, was briefly knocked unconscious, said Robert Sadd, prosecuting.

Parrish, 27, who was a patient at the unit at the time of the incident and Richmond, 22, of Felix Road, Ipswich, both admitted assaulting the man causing him actual bodily harm.

Parrish also admitted harassing a former girlfriend and was jailed for 32 weeks and made the subject of a five year restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-girlfriend.

Richmond was jailed for 24 weeks.

Mr Sadd told the court that at the time of the offence in November, Parrish was a patient at the unit and Richmond was visiting the premises.

The defendants and the victim of the attack had been in an outside communal area and during the incident Richmond had struck the man with a cup while Parrish had taken a running kick at his head while he was on the ground.

The man briefly lost consciousness and suffered minor injuries.

As the defendants walked off they were seen to bump fists as if they were congratulating each other, Mr Sadd said.

He said the harassment charge related to Parrish sending a number of text messages to his former girlfriend.

Craig Marchant, for the defendants, said they both regretted the assault and were ashamed of what they had done.

He said the incident started after the defendants thought the other man was staring at him. He said that during the confrontation that followed the victim had swung a punch at Parrish.

Mr Marchant said Parrish accepted his relationship with his ex-girlfriend was over.