footballer Vinnie Jones bit, punched, and kicked a neighbour in a row over a stile, a court was told yesterday.
Riding school owner Timothy Gear, 27, of Redbourn, Hertfordshire, said Mr Jones had punched him to the floor and stamped on his head.
Mr Jones, 33, also of Redbourn, agreed that an incident had occurred in the mobile home where Mr Gear lived in November last year.
But he denied punching, kicking, or biting and said he and Mr Gear had only ''thrashed around''.
In a hearing before magistrates in St Albans, Hertfordshire, Jones pled not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and causing criminal damage to the door and window of Mr Gear's caravan.
The court was told Mr Jones had built a stile and gate on the edge of his land. He had been disturbed to learn that Mr Gear had taken the stile down so that he could get some horses through the fence.
Mr Gear told the court that he was asleep in his mobile home at about 11pm on November 11 when he was awoken by banging at the door.
He had got up to ask who it was when the window of the caravan was smashed.
''I opened the door,'' said Mr Gear. ''Vincent Jones grabbed me by the shoulders and put his teeth into the top of my scalp.''
Mr Gear said he pushed himself away from Mr Jones and was then attacked again.
Mr Gear said Jones, who has played for Wimbledon, Leeds, and Chelsea and is now assistant player-manager at Queen's Park Rangers, had accompanied his assault with swearwords. Mr Gear said he had hospital treatment for a cut lip, cut nose, and bruising and swelling to his face. Doctors also saw marks on his head which could have been made by teeth.
Mr Jones said he had been told that Mr Gear had taken down his stile after spending the day shooting.
He had seen Mr Gear's light on as he drove home and decided to discuss the issue then.
He said he knocked at the door of the mobile home, which Mr Gear flung open.
''I just said to him, 'What's happening with my stile?','' said Mr Jones.
He said Mr Gear then swore at him.
Mr Jones said the door had banged into his shoulder when it was flung open.
Mr Gear had then pulled it shut. Mr Jones had tried to grab it and trapped his hand.
''Then I went to the window and banged on the window, and it smashed,'' added Mr Jones. ''I was annoyed.''
Mr Jones said Mr Gear had then opened the door again.
''We both started thrashing about,'' added Mr Jones. ''It was not a fight.''
The hearing continues.
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