A husband who deliberately mowed down his wife's ex-lover was given a suspended jail sentence at Lewes Crown Court.

Timothy Porter knocked down Ian Cowpland in a "moment of madness" in Battle High Street in August last year.

The court heard the two men had been at the centre of a love triangle and after Porter's wife gave birth to a daughter, Mr Cowpland took legal action to try to prove he was the father.

Porter, 39, a salesman, formerly of Catsfield Road, Crowhurst, was cleared by a jury after a week-long trial of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He told the court he lost control of his car and it was simply a "bizarre" coincidence he drove into Mr Cowpland.

The jury failed to reach a decision on a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm after more than ten hours considering its verdict and was dismissed by the judge.

When Porter was warned the Crown Prosecution Service would be considering a retrial he changed his plea to guilty to the assault charge.

During the trial, the court heard how Porter was left devastated when he discovered in a telephone call from Mr Cowpland that he had had an affair with his wife, Melanie.

Months later, on New Year's Day 2002, Mr Cowpland called at their home after discovering Mrs Porter had given birth to a daughter, Georgina.

Mr Cowpland later started court proceedings to gain access. The paternity of the child has still not been settled.

Porter accused Mr Cowpland of embarking on a campaign of harassment against his wife to try to split them up.

The couple sold their house so they could move out of the area.

Porter said: "He made our lives feel like the Twilight Zone. Everywhere we went he was there."

He denied hating Mr Cowpland and said he had no memory of the accident.

Matthew Farmer, defending, said a combination of extreme emotion and depression had caused Porter to act in a "moment of madness."

He said: "He behaved wholly out of character."

Judge Richard Brown sentenced Porter to 12 months' jail suspended for two years.

He told him: "You now accept the fact you deliberately drove your car at Mr Cowpland, although you had no intention of causing serious bodily harm.

"I am prepared to accept it was a moment of madness."

Because of the exceptional circumstances of the background to the case and Porter's continued ill health, he decided to suspend the jail sentence.