A MAN who fled to Thailand for three years after smashing a vase over a neighbour’s head in a row about noise has been jailed.

Timothy Steward was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for causing grievous bodily harm to Mark Camp.

Steward, 37, formerly of Harkilees Way, Braintree, had been at his sister’s house in Hay Lane, Braintree, when an argument broke out, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Michael Fraser, prosecuting, said when Mr Camp knocked on the door of the property on July 4, 2006, Steward shut the door on him.

As Mr Camp continued to bang on the door, Steward opened the door again and smashed the vase over his head. He was knocked to the floor and suffered a cut to his head which needed 20 stitches, the court heard.

Steward then picked up another vase which he threw at Mr Camp, but it missed and caused £900 of damage to a neighbour’s car.

Steward, who had previous convictions for assault and criminal damage stretching back to the Nineties, was arrested by police in 2006, but he failed to answer his bail.

He had moved to Thailand, where he married. Claire Ashcroft, mitigating, said he had fled there to escape his drug use and money troubles, but had decided to return to face up to his problems last March.

She said he voluntarily handed himself in to police and admitted the charges in court, but hoped to return to Thailand after his sentence to be with his wife and start a teaching course.

Recorder Robin Knowles said: “This was not a premeditated attack by you on Mr Camp. But there came a point at which you chose to use a weapon that came to hand, chose to open the door and deliver the blow that you did.

“Hence you are charged, and have admitted you are guilty of, assault at the most serious level.

“I think you have seen the consequences of your actions and have been affected by that.”

He also sentenced Steward to six months in jail for criminal damage, to run concurrently.