A West Sussex father-of-five racially abused a neighbour before breaking his arm with a baseball bat, a court has been told.

Michael Matschy, 34, of Steyning Crescent, Storrington, admits assaulting Harold New, but denied the incident was racially aggravated.

Hove Crown Court heard yesterday that the bust-up was the culmination of a long-running feud between the two men.

Eloise Marshall, prosecuting, said: "Some time this year Mr Matschy sold Mr New his car.

"They had agreed an arrangement as to how it was to be paid for but, unfortunately, there was a problem and an argument broke out between them.

"During the course of the argument, Harold New accused Michael Matschy of letting down the tyres of his car and Mr New smashed the windscreen of Mr Matschy's car.

"On May 4 at 7pm Mr New was leaving his house. He drove past the home of Mr Matschy and they exchanged dirty looks.

"Mr Matschy mouthed the words 'f*****g w****r'. Mr New got out and asked why Mr Matschy said that."

Miss Marshall said Matschy then racially abused Mr New before getting a baseball and breaking his arm."

The court heard Matschy, who had been drinking, was arrested after his wife, Heidi, persuaded him to return to the house and dialled 999.

In an interview with officers later that day, he denied using a racially abusive word and claimed he had merely said 'H - please shut up, shut up'.

Mr New and Matschy had lived about 100yds apart in the cul-de-sac for about 18 months.

Initially, they had behaved like normal neighbours but their relationship broke down after the car dispute.

Mr New, who has since moved, said: "He clearly didn't like me and I didn't like him. But we had a mutual understanding to stay away from each other."

He told the court Matschy and his wife had gone back into the house after the assault and the defendant continued racially abusing him.

Rachel Beckett, defending, repeatedly suggested Mr New was wrong to say he had been racially abused at any stage.

But he replied: "I'm just not one of those people who cares about that sort of thing because I have got white people in my family and I've got a mixed race son."

The defendant denied racially abusing Mr New.

He said: "He came at me and I ran back in the house and hit him with the bat, rightly or wrongly."

Matschy denies racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The jury was expected to reach a verdict today.