A pensioner who hit a man over the head with a piece of timber has narrowly escaped being locked up.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Christopher Caveney, 59, suffered a fractured skull and a wound above his right eye when he was attacked by 72-year-old Gordon Waite five months ago.

The incident, near allotments off Sykes Lane, Silsden, began after Mr Caveney had complained to another man about the behaviour of Waite's dogs, said prosecutor Lesley Dickinson.

Waite approached and picked up a 3ft long piece of timber which he swung at Mr Caveney, striking him in the head and knocking him to the ground.

Waite, of Mill Banks, Silsden, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm. He was given an 18-month jail term suspended for two years and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work for the community.

Passing sentence, Recorder Hilary Anderson said it must have been "an extremely traumatic experience" for Mr Caveney but there were exceptional circumstances that justified a suspended sentence.

Miss Dickinson said that after his arrest Waite told police he had resented Mr Caveney throwing stones at one of his dogs and also suggested that one of the stones had hit him in the chest.

He claimed his behaviour had been a spur of the moment reaction.

Paul Fleming, mitigating, said that what happened leading up to the offence could not justify his client's actions.

Mr Caveney was upset about the dogs and started throwing stones at them, but "the last straw" was when one of the stones struck Waite in the chest at close range.

The injury to Mr Caveney was not intended but could have been foreseen, added Mr Fleming. "He is very sorry for his actions. He is deeply sorry for his misconduct on that day."

After the hearing, Mr Caveney, an engineer of Tunnicliffe Place, Silsden, said he was happy with the sentence.

"He has been punished and that is right. I have never been in touch with him since it happened.

"I now want to forget about it and get on with my life."