A man who went to the aid of a neighbour ended up getting a serious ankle injury which has left him needing a walking stick and unable to work, a court heard.

Norwich Crown Court heard that Michael Ferrington-Pryor, 49, heard his neighbour cry for help and had confronted her estranged husband Keith Woodcock, but in a scuffle had fallen to the floor and received a serious injury to his ankle,

The court heard that since the incident Mr Ferrington-Pryor now needed a walking stick and could not work as a bricklayer.

Woodcock, 45, of Kimberley Terrace, Horning, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Ferrington-Pryor and was given a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a four-month curfew.

Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Stephen Holt told Woodcock that Mr Ferrington-Pryor had been woken by the cries for help by Woodcock's former partner and he had come round to the house in Smallburgh to help her.

'He was doing what I hope any neighbour would do but as a result of him doing the decent thing he suffered an appalling injury,' said Judge Holt.

He said the injury would affect him for the rest of his life.

However, he accepted that Woodcock had not intended to cause such a serious injury.

Jonathan Morgans, for Woodcock, said his client had gone to the home to retrieve some items when an argument had developed between him and his former wife and said he never intended to cause any injury to Mr Ferrington-Pryor.