A FLAT dweller who complained about noise was knocked down in a flurry of punches by a man with a prolific criminal record.

Stephen Patterson had banged on his floor with a hammer after loud music from the flat below disturbed him.

The music was turned down for a time but later increased in volume and woke Mr Patterson up, said Gareth Walters, prosecuting.

Liberty Taylor came to his door and told him to stop banging on the floor which provoked an argument and the violence, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Taylor, aged 30, of Cuckoo Penn, King's Pyon, Hereford, had 130 previous offences on his record, mostly for vehicle crime.

He pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and breaching a criminal anti-social behaviour order.

He was already in custody for breaching his prison licence after early release from a 40-month sentence for burglary, handling stolen goods and driving while banned.

Judge Toby Hooper added another four month jail term and said: "You were being a nuisance that night and inflicted savage blows on an innocent man who was trying to get to sleep."

Taylor was staying at the home of his sister in Leominster on November 26 last year when the incident happened.

He was under a CRASBO imposed in February 2006 which prohibited him from causing alarm, distress or nuisance to members of the public.

Julian Harris, defending, said despite his "thoroughly depressing" record he had worked for the Samaritans and was a listener in jail, helping other inmates with problems.

He was intelligent and articulate but had wasted his life in bizarre fashion by indulging in car crime.

Violence was out of character, added Mr Harris, and Taylor had confessed: "I'm gutted by what I have done."