A mother was left almost naked in the street after her nightdress was ripped off by a neighbour, a court heard.

Alison Turner told a jury that Kenneth Whitear tore her nightie to shreds as she went to help her husband, Clayton Turner.

Moments earlier, Whitear, of Amundsen Road, Horsham, had allegedly attacked Mr Turner with a garden scythe, leaving his eyebrow hanging off by a thread of skin.

Mrs Turner said: "I could see where the blood was coming from and all I could think about was that half of my husband's face was hanging off.

"Mr Whitear jumped up and hit me twice in the face with his clenched fist.

"He was holding onto me while he was hitting me. He completely ripped my nightie to shreds.

"It was hanging down by my knees but I did not realise until I got back into the house that I had nothing else on."

The incident happened in January after Mr Turner complained to Whitear that his television and radio were turned up too loud at 7.30am.

Mrs Turner told Hove Crown Court that Whitear had threatened her three children and the family's pets.

She claimed he had said he would kill them after a football was kicked over the fence into his garden.

Mrs Turner said: "We have made numerous complaints to the police about him.

"He threatened to kill the children six times over two years.

"We also complained to the housing association and they built us a fence so that we could get to our car in peace without being shouted and sworn at by him."

Mr Turner, a train driving instructor for Southern, had earlier told the court he had approached the Benefits Agency about Whitear, who uses a walking stick.

He said: "I sought their advice after friends told us he was boasting about getting disability benefits.

"My wife's father had a stroke and is disabled so we know how a disabled person behaves.

"We were saying that Mr Whitear was not a person who is disabled and he was putting on an act.

"The benefits fraud office told us to video him to get proof."

The court heard that Mr Turner has permanent scars over his eyebrow, on his hand and on his leg, which were allegedly caused by the scythe.

He also has two scars on his arm where he was allegedly bitten by Whitear, who is also said to have bitten Mr Turner's 12-year-old daughter when she tried to intervene.

The couple's daughter Shan told the court she also had a scar on her hand where she was bitten by Whitear. "He bit me when I tried to get dad's arm out of his mouth.

"I was punching him and slapping him on the side of his face, trying to get him off my dad."

Whitear denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Turner on January 15.

He also denies assaulting Mrs Turner and the couple's daughter. The trial continues.