A MAN who viciously attacked an elderly neighbour during a parking dispute has dropped his claim that he acted in self defence, a judge heard on Friday.

Jeremy Mannings, aged 52, has admitted assaulting Jim Crockford on November 30 last year causing him actual bodily harm.

Ieuan Rees, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court the plea was now acceptable to the Crown Prosecution Service because Mannings no longer claimed to have responded to a potential assault on himself.

Mannings, of The Ridgeway, Saundersfoot, was told by Judge Geraint Walters he would be sentenced on January 31 after a probation officer had prepared a report into his background.

Judge Walters warned Mannings not to read anything into that and to understand that all sentencing options remained open. He was granted bail until then.

During an earlier hearing before magistrates, prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones had said Mr Crockford was a vulnerable man in his 70s and that the defendant was considerable younger.

They were neighbours and there had been a long standing issue over parking.

On November 30 Mr Crockford had been reversing down the lane when Mannings challenged him.

Mr Crockford got out and words were exchanged before Mannings threw him to the floor and appeared to kick him in the stomach after delivering “a series of meaningful punches to his head,” said Mr Pritchard-Jones.

An eye witness told police she saw Mannings kicking the victim at least three times whilst he was on the floor.

“This was a particularly vicious attack and totally unnecessary,” said Mr Pritchard-Jones.