A MAN who attacked another man in his bed after smashing the door of his flat, and later punched him in the face in a separate incident, is beginning an eight-month prison sentence.

Asher Plant, aged 21, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, was jailed at Newport Crown Court today.

He had also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, and to two counts of criminal damage.

The court was told by Gareth James, prosecuting, that a man who lived in the same flats complex as Plant, on Newport Road, Caldicot, had on April 12 this year required medical help after a drugs incident.

Plant called an ambulance, locked the door to the man's flat and gave his family the keys. But he later reported to the police that the man's flat had been broken into.

Police inquiries involving CCTV of the flat from a camera on a neighbouring building revealed that no-one had entered the building during the period of the alleged break-in, while Plant was seen leaving the flat, but not at the time indicated in a statement to police.

He later admitted forcing open the door of the flat, and damaging a laptop computer.

The court was told too by Mr James that Plant did not get on with another man who had a flat in the complex.

Plant had verbally abused him and during the evening of May 26, the man's door had been smashed in and he had been attacked in his bed by a man wearing a mask, sustaining bruising to an arm. Plant subsequently admitted carrying out the attack.

Two weeks later, the man was punched in the face by Plant, sustaining a cut that required stitches.

Judge Philip Richards was told that Plant, who has mental health and other issues, had left his mobile phone in his first victim's flat, and that it "beggared belief" why broke in and then told police there had been a break-in.

He was also told of animosity between Plant and his second victim, detailed in a pre-sentence report.

Judge Richards jailed Plant with concurrent sentences totalling eight months. He also imposed a five-year restraining order on Plant relating to his two victims, and ordered him to pay them £192 each in compensation.