A man accused of fracturing a man's skull with a claw hammer in Mildenhall town centre will be sentenced next month after being found guilty by a jury.

Martin Quince had claimed he had been handed the claw hammer by another man and he had stupidly taken it and thrown it in a bin.

Quince, of Market Place, Mildenhall, had denied grievous bodily harm, possession of drugs and possessing an offensive weapon but was convicted of all three offences. He will be sentenced on June 27.

The court heard that the 43-year-old  hit the victim over the head with a hammer in the early hours of November 12 last year.

It was alleged that the victim had been arguing in the street with his wife and was confronted by another man who told him never to hit a woman. 

Quince and a man called Phil had then become involved in the dispute and Quince had pulled out a hammer from his sleeve and swung it at the victim's head.

A witness, who can't be named, told the court the victim had fallen to the ground and Quince had said: “If he isn’t dead, I will make sure next time”.

Giving evidence Quince said he had left his flat and gone out into the street with his neighbour Phil after hearing people arguing.

He claimed that Phil had started an altercation with the victim and the two men had squared up to each other.

He said he saw Phil push the victim followed by another man throwing a punch which knocked the victim to the ground.

He claimed the man who threw the punch then handed him a claw hammer and told him to get rid of it.

Questioned by his barrister Nicola May, Quince denied being involved in the attack on the victim.