Painter bashed his boss

A painter and decorator bashed his boss with a piece of wood after being sacked because he arrived back from a job early.

Phillip Nesbitt was yesterday ordered to pay £250 compensation to Sean Felton, director of Heath Hayes based Complete Decorating Ltd.

He was put on 18 months supervision and told to pay £250 prosecution costs after admitting assaulting Mr Felton causing him actual bodily harm.

During a trial of issue at Stafford Crown Court Nesbitt, of Victoria Avenue, Walsall, claimed Mr Felton had struck him first and denied hitting him over the head with the stick.

He told the court that a head injury Mr Felton suffered must have been caused when he fell to the floor at the firm's unit on the Chasewood Park Business Centre.

Nesbitt added that his relationship with Mr Felton had been "going downhill".

Mr Felton told the hearing that on October 17 Nesbitt and his apprentice arrived back from a job in Coventry at about 4pm.

"I said they were back early and he started arguing. I told him I had had enough and to get his stuff out of the office," said Mr Felton.

He said Nesbitt left and returned with a baseball bat or piece of wood and hit him over the head knocking him to the floor. Mr Recorder Kevin Hegarty ruled that Mr Felton had not struck the first blow and the head injury could have been caused by his falling.

Nesbitt had no previous convictions for violence and no serious injury was caused.