An ongoing dispute landed a former Golborne man in court accused of a hammer attack.
A jury cleared Barry Atcherley of using a weapon, but he has been given a community sentence for assault.
The 37-year-old was ordered to carry out 120 hours' unpaid work and placed under supervision for 12 months.
Liverpool Crown Court heard th
at Atcherley and his victim, Andrew Bamford, had been friends but trouble developed last year over a loaned computer peripheral.
This led to Mr Bamford hurling a 2ft-high garden ornament through the front window of Atcherley's house in Sycamore Avenue, Golborne.
A couple of days later Mr Bamford was outside the house and after Atcherley went outside Mr Bamford raised his arm and Atcherley punched him. The victim suffered a cut to his head.
The court heard that after the incident involving the garden ornament
being thrown through Atcherley's window Mr Bamford accepted a fixed penalty notice.
Atcherley, who now lives in Springfield Avenue, Malpas, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm on December 4.
Philip Andrews, defending, said that it had been an unpremeditated attack. He had previous convictions but none for violence and has been out of trouble for three years.
