A man was ‘shocked’ to find his severely disabled neighbour smashing up his car with a set of crutches.

Prosecutor Michael Collins told North Somerset Courthouse how Peter Raynor had discovered his neighbour, Terry Reid, battering his Black Vauxhall Corsa on the evening of October 10.

He said: "The victim described hearing banging noises outside, so he looked outside the living room window to see Reid smashing up his car with his crutches.

"He shouted out the window 'what the f*** are you doing?', and Reid responded by saying 'you know what you did'."

Pictures shown to the court revealed the extent of the damage, including broken lights and mirrors, dented bodywork and smashed-in front and back windscreens.

In a victim-impact statement, Mr Raynor described the 52-year-old as a nuisance and said there had been several problems since Reid moved into the flat above his three years ago,

Mr Raynor said he was 'shocked and p***ed off' about what had happened, as he could no longer use his car.

The vehicle has remained in place since the incident, as Mr Raynor said he could not afford to have it repaired and did not want to involve his insurance company.

Defending, Joseph Wright, said Reid did not remember leaving his home or damaging the vehicle.

He said: "Something strange has happened here, and we don't quite know what caused this.

"Mr Reid says he remembers looking under his bed and finding items missing.

"He doesn't remember attacking the car, and he did things he usually isn't capable of doing, as he has numerous physical disabilities.

Mr Wright argued the incident must be dealt with via a compensation claim, as Reid, who needs crutches to walk and had difficulty standing or walking during the hearing on Tuesday, would be unsuitable for unpaid work.

He added: "He understands what he did was wrong - I am certain this is a one-off.

"He is facing eviction from the property because of this and is currently living in temporary accommodation while looking for appropriate supported accommodation."

Reid, of Moor Lane, Hutton, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and was ordered to pay £1,600 compensation.