Devizes dad Timothy Hancock has been acquitted of unlawful wounding during an incident in Market Lavington in August.

A jury at Salisbury Crown Court yesterday returned a majority not guilty verdict at the end of a two day trial.

Ryan Linsley had alleged that Hancock had used a claw hammer to launch an unprovoked attack on him, but the jury chose to believe Hancock’s version that the attack was in self defence.

After the verdict Mr Hancock told the Gazette: “I’m glad it’s all over. This has been hanging over me for months. It was a very serious allegation and I have lost my job as a result of it.”

On Tuesday the prosecution had alleged Hancock was like a maniac when he attacked former friend Mr Linsley with a hammer.

Prosecutor Michael Butt said Hancock, 41, from Forty Acres Road, Devizes, had come armed with a claw hammer to confront Mr Linsley at his girlfriend’s home in Market Lavington on August 23 this year.

Mr Butt said that Hancock was under the impression, erroneously, that Mr Linsley had attacked his son in Devizes the previous evening.

He drove to Rochelle Court in Market Lavington with the claw hammer with the intention of having a physical confrontation with Mr Linsley.

He was met at the door by Mr Linsley’s girlfriend, Samantha Curl, who at first denied that Mr Linsley was there, finally agreed he could talk to him. But when Mr Linsley came out to see him, Hancock, it was alleged, swung his fist only missing him because Mr Linsley took evasive action.

Then Hancock produced the hammer and struck Mr Linsley forcefully over the head with it. Mr Linsley recoiled back into the house with blood spurting from a head wound, closing the door as he did so.

Hancock then smashed a pane of the glass in the front door with the hammer.

He ran off and the ambulance and police were called.

Mr Linsley’s injury was not as serious as first thought and he was released from hospital.

Hancock told police that it was Mr Linsley who had produced the hammer after he had punched him and Mr Linsley received the blow to the head as the two wrestled for the hammer.

No hammer was found at the scene. Mr Linsley, a bricklayer by trade, said he did own hammers, but they were in his tool box in his car, parked some distance away.

Mr Linsley told the jury that he had been upstairs at the flat when Hancock called and could see by his hostile attitude that he wanted to fight.

Miss Curl told the court that Hancock had been quite reasonable as she talked to him but when the hammer was produced, Hancock behaved “like a maniac”.

Hancock had denied unlawful wounding but pleaded guilty to criminal damage. Sentencing on this charge will be on a later date.