A MAN who claimed he heard voices telling him to kill people has been jailed for attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

Leo Shields, of Nobes Avenue, Gosport, was sentenced to two years behind bars at Southampton Crown Court on Monday.

Prosecuting, Matthew Lawson said the charge was to do with an incident in the late afternoon on May 28 involving Shields and a close friend, who he had gone through the care system with as a child.

He added the defendant had arranged to stay over at his friend's home, who lives in supported accommodation in Southampton.

Mr Lawson said a worker at the house said the friend had got quite drunk was stood outside the house with the defendant having a loud conversation.

She said the defendant seemed to be trying to calm his friend down but in the end decided he wanted to leave after something was mentioned about the mother of the Shields' son.

The court heard the defendant kept his cool and tried to walk away but the friend would not let him and kept trying to hug him.

Mr Lawson said the defendant then swung a punch and the friend went over onto the floor. Again the defendant tried to walk away but his friend got back up and followed him, doing the same.

He added Shields punched him again and began to hit him on the floor before trying to walk away again.

The victim got back up for a third time and stopped him in the middle of a road where the defendant knocked him to the floor, punched and kicked him before stamping on his head around four times.

Mr Lawson said the support worker had followed the pair and heard the defendant tell his friend "If you don't leave me alone I am going to shank you."

The court heard when the defendant was asked if he had a knife he said "Of course I have, it is down my trousers".

Mr Lawson said Shields had nine previous convictions for battery and for causing actual bodily harm - one of incidents was for when he and a group of friends beat up a homeless man.

He added a psychiatric report said Shields had admitted that he had thoughts about hurting people and sometimes heard voices telling him to kill people.

Defending, Jamie Gammon said although the defendant was violent, the victim did not have any blood on him, only bruising which either meant his friend was particularly resilient or that Shields did not actually intend to cause him serious harm.

"He is aware of what he has done and will take his punishment and is in fact anxious to get on with it," Mr Gammon said.

Judge Nicholas Rowland said: "You have a history of violence.... On May 28 you punched and kicked your victim while he was on the ground and at the end of the day you did stamp on his head.

"You could have been facing a much more serious charge."