A night shift worker has been ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to a workmate who he hit over the head with a metal bar in a row over parking.

Marc Stacey and victim Trevor Shelton were working at Sliding Doors and Windows at Heathfield, Newton Abbot, when they had a foul-mouthed argument about where Mr Shelton had left his car.

Stacey told him to move it and Mr Shelton complained to their supervisor that he was being talked to like a dog, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Stacey then picked up a metal pole and during the ensuing fracas Mr Shelton suffered a blow to the back of his head which needed seven stitches and led to him being of work for almost two months.

Stacey, aged 50, of Haytor Park, Newton Abbot, admitted causing actual bodily harm and was ordered by Judge Erik Salomonsen to do 150 hours’ unpaid work and pay £1,000 compensation.

He told him: ”You are 50 and old enough to know better. There was clearly bad blood with this particular workmate and there had been some effing and blinding about moving a car.

“You happened to have a bar in your hand and I sentence you on the basis you thrust it into his midriff and there was pushing and pulling as a result of which the bar struck the back of his head.

“Not surprisingly, you lost your job. This was an accident which was the consequence of your violent actions rather than a deliberate attempt to hit him on the back of the head.”

Caroline Bolt, prosecuting, said both men were working at the firm in Heathfield in the early hours of May 19 when they had an argument about where Mr Shelton had parked his car.

There was swearing as Mr Shelton complained Stacey was treating him like a dog and Stacey replied that dogs are more obedient.

Mr Shelton was complaining to a supervisor when Stacey appeared with a metal bar and there was a scuffle in which he suffered the head injury which caused him to be off for seven weeks and lose £3,000 wages.

Lee Bremridge, mitigating, said Stacey lad lost his job but found less well paid work as a cleaner which meant he could only afford to pay £20 a week compensation.