A Sussex fox hunt saboteur told a court how he filmed a "madman" attacking his wife.

Simon Wild, who claims to have been attacked by huntsman Jonathan Broise just after his wife Jaine was assaulted, filmed the incident a second longer than he needed to, to ensure it was captured on tape.

Broise, 46, of London Road, Petworth, has denied the assaults which left Mrs Wild, 48, needing six stitches in her face and treatment for a displaced septum and Mr Wild with facial bruising.

The couple came across Broise in Pheasant Copse, Petworth Park, on October 9, last year when he was leading the Chiddingfold, Cowdray and Leconfield Hunt.

Mr Wild told Chichester Crown Court he was filming the hunt on a camcorder when Broise rode towards his wife on a grey horse and dismounted.

Mr Wild, from Bognor, said: "All of a sudden Jaine comes flying out from the right hand side of the horse.

"Broise was immediately behind, punching her full in the face."

When Richard Cherrill, prosecuting, asked how he reacted, Mr Wild said: "I held the camera and filmed longer than I needed to.

"I dropped the camera and raced to Broise and grabbed hold of him. I could have dropped the camera after the first punch but this was not the first time these things have happened."

Describing the alleged assault on himself, Mr Wild said: "He punched me once in the face with medium force. I tried to get him in a head-lock but he punched me with enormous force many times in the stomach.

"I got up and saw Jaine laying near me. She was covered in blood, she looked pale and stunned."

"As soon as I got up, I went behind some shrubbery. I did not go to my wife. I took the tape out of the camera and buried it in an inside pocket."

On the video footage Mr Wild was heard to say of his wife: "She has a split eye and her nose is bleeding, so that's broken. She's been seriously beaten up by a madman."

Anthony Chinn QC, defending, asked Mrs Wild if she was exaggerating how badly hurt she was or if she had inflicted injuries on herself.

She said: "I was barely conscious, this is not an exaggeration. I'm quite disgusted you should even think that."

The trial continues.