A DRUNKEN man stamped on his boyfriend’s head following a row over dog mess outside his house, a court heard.

Adam Roberts, 22, organised a barbecue at his Shakespeare Crescent home in Ebbw Vale along with his then partner Scott Collins on June 13 last year.

But the summer’s celebration turned nasty after both drank heavily, Cardiff Crown Court heard yesterday.

Gareth James, prosecuting, said Roberts became “incensed” after an elderly neighbour let his pet use greenery outside his house as a toilet.

He shouted and swore at the pensioner, causing another neighbour to come and remonstrate with him, the court heard.

Seeing what was going on, Mr Collins came on to the pavement and told the second neighbour to leave his boyfriend alone, Mr James said.

Once back inside the house the two began to argue, and Mr Collins left to go and buy some more alcohol, he said.

However, the defendant locked the doors while he was away and when Mr Collins returned he could not get back inside, the court heard.

Angry at this development, he began to rip up plants from the front garden, kicked the door and smashed a window in attempt to get into the house, Mr James said.

“It was at that point matters went downhill,” he told the court. “[Roberts] and Mr Collins started scuffling and exchanging punches.”

A neighbour watching the brawl said both appeared as bad as each other, until Mr Collins walked away.

The court heard the defendant shouted after him: “You’ve got the muscles but you haven’t got the strength!”

Stung by the comment, Mr Collins returned to trading blows with the defendant and was knocked to the ground where he tried to cover his face.

“Then Adam began to stamp on his face,” Mr James said. “It began as a consensual fight, but it went too far.”

Police arrived and found Mr Collins in a nearby garden covered in blood having suffered cuts to his hand and forehead, the court heard.

Roberts was arrested and in interview told police he was “petrified” of Mr Collins but felt he had to defend his property. “He said he kicked him because he didn’t want him to get back up - in essence, he said it was self defence,” Mr James said.

They have since split up, the court heard.

Roberts admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

James Evans, mitigating, said his client was previously of good character and had been provoked by Mr Collins, who had a criminal record and had been violent towards the defendant in the past.

Recorder Timothy Brennan QC said: “There was obviously a degree of provocation. It is not a case where there was marked disparity in physical strength; if anything it appears you were the less physically robust of the two of you.”

But he said both “behaved particularly badly when drunk”.

He sentenced Roberts to 150 hours unpaid work, complete an 18 months supervision order with probation and pay £250 costs.