A man who used a CD rack to attack his neighbour in a “prolonged and sustained assault” has been jailed for more than three years.

Sean Hunt, 36, of Hardy Court, Sudbury, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court via video link having previously pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and assaulting a police officer at magistrates’ court.

The court heard how Hunt burst through an open back door and into a living room at an address in Hardy Court on August 21 last year.

Hunt swore at a neighbour in the living room before telling him: “I’m going to open you up.”

He then lunged at the man, punching him to the right side of his head and causing him to stumble backwards.

Hunt then threw a CD rack at his neighbour, which hit him on the foot, and then sat on top of the victim, striking him over the head with an unknown object.

The neighbour lost consciousness and when he woke up, Hunt had his hands around the victim’s neck.

Hunt was finally disturbed by the sound of a car outside and left, telling the victim: “This isn’t over your schmuck.”

The victim suffered cuts to the top of his head and bruising to his face.

The police were called and during Hunt’s arrest, he became obstructive and verbally abusive to officers.

He threatened to bite, punch, elbow and spit at police, Nicola May, prosecuting, said.

He also lunged at an officer open-mouthed in the back of the police car and had to be restrained several times, Ms May added.

Hunt also pleaded guilty to two further charges of witness intimidation and assault by beating. The charges relate to two separate incidents while Hunt was on bail.

Around 2.30pm on February 7, Hunt saw the neighbour he attacked in Acton Lane in Sudbury and told him: “You are a grass, and I’m going to open you up.”

Later that evening, Hunt went to a woman’s address in Hardy Court, Sudbury, around midnight and dragged her out of her property by her hair.

Rob Pollington, defending, said Hunt suffers from mental health issues and drinks alcohol to excess to “self-medicate”.

“He is embarrassed by his actions and rightly so,” Mr Pollington added.

The court heard that Hunt had 33 previous convictions for 76 offences.

Judge Martyn Levett described the attack on Hunt’s neighbour as a “prolonged and sustained repetitive assault”.

Judge Levett jailed Hunt for 41 months in total and issued two five-year restraining orders, banning him from contacting either the man or woman he attacked.