A Suffolk man was left bleeding from a head wound after two masked men entered his home and attacked him and his son, it has been alleged.

Anthony O’Connell was in bed at his home in West View Gardens, Gislingham, at around 12.30am on March 11 last year when he heard shouting, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He jumped out of bed and ran into the kitchen where he saw his son Ben grappling with a man with a hat pulled down over his face and saw another man, who also had his face covered, standing in the doorway.

Mr O’Connell senior ran at the man who was grappling with his son and was allegedly struck over the head with a metal object.

“It was a hard blow. I fell back and was stunned and realised there was blood pumping out of my head and running down my face,” he said.

He started punching and hitting the man and with the help of his son they allegedly managed to push the man outside into the garden.

At that stage the man’s hat had come off and Mr OConnell was able to see his face.

Both the alleged intruders had then run off and were chased by Ben O’Connell.

Before the court are Charlie Jolly, 20, and Phillip Jolly, 24, both of Chapel Farm Close, Gislingham, and Aidan Talbot, 25, of Cranley Road, Eye.

All three have denied conspiring to inflict grievous bodily harm on Ben O’Connell and aggravated burglary by entering West View Gardens, Gislingham, with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm on Ben O’Connell and having a metal bat and a wooden bat with them.

Talbot and Phillip Jolly have also denied wounding Benjamin O’Connell with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm and wounding Anthony O’Connell with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Talbot and Phillip Jolly have also denied unlawfully wounding Anthony O’Connell.

Mr O’Connell senior told the court there had been bad feeling after his family suspected Charlie Jolly of damaging the wing mirror on Ben O’Connell’s van several years earlier.

The court heard that on March 10 Charlie Jolly allegedly threatened Ben O’Connell after an incident between his mother and Ben O’Connell at a local health centre.

The trial continues.