A judge has written to prison chiefs and urged them to protect Paul Sinclair, a burglar he jailed for six months.

Sinclair, 28, fears that while behind bars he will become the revenge victim of vicious thug Mark Court.

In a drunken rage, Court attacked Sinclair with a hammer.

Court was eventually jailed for four years. And now Sinclair, whose face is horribly scarred, has received the six-month sentence for raiding a neighbour's flat.

Sinclair broke down and wept when he was given the sentence and his barrister explained to Judge Nicholas Jones that the defendant was worried about reprisals.

So the judge took the unusual step of writing to the prison authorities asking for him to be kept away from Court.

The two villains had been pals until they fell out over a girl.

Then Court, of Dock Road, Tilbury, went berserk and carried out attack on Sinclair, Basildon Crown Court heard.

Sinclair was caught by police after burgling a neighbour's flat in Tasmania House, Hobart Road, Tilbury, while the owner was away.

Sinclair, who had previous convictions for burglary, having an offensive weapon and assault on police, claimed he had not intended to burgle the flat.

Judge Jones said he took into account the terrible beating Sinclair received, but it was a serious matter to raid a neighbour's home. The appropriate sentence was prison, added the judge.

Published Friday November 8, 2002

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