A MAN punched the occupant of a neighbouring house as he attempted to force his way in after hearing an argument.

Audrius Baltramiejunas hit another man several times in the face, splitting his lip and damaging his ear, after hearing what was described in court as a “viperous argument” from within.

The 33-year-old was on his way back from buying milk at the shop when he heard the disturbance at a house near his own on Northfield Street, Worcester.

He swore and attempted to gain access to the property where a friend of his lives, believing he may be in trouble.

However, a visitor to the house tried to stop him before he was attacked by the defendant, magistrates heard yesterday.

Mark Johnson, prosecuting, said the house is a shared occupancy and two of the regular occupants were there, as was at least one other person – the victim of the attack, Pitor Maczka.

Mr Johnson said the argument was said to be loud and could be heard from the street, an account corroborated by two neighbours – one of whom was on his driveway tending to his motorcycle.

“It is quite clear they were having a viperous argument,” the solicitor said.

He went on to describe Baltramiejunas as “aggressive” as he approached the house – in the words of the witnesses – and swore as he asked what was going on.

“The defendant was trying to push his way into the address,” continued Mr Johnson.

Despite witnesses describing the defendant as kicking the door, he disputes this, the court heard, and instead claims he had put his foot into the door to stop it being closed.

Mr Johnson said Mr Maczka was visiting his friends who lived at the house and had told them he would deal with Baltramiejunas who was at the door.

However, the confrontation ended with him being “thumped” to both sides of his head and his lower lip, which was split against his teeth.

Another man was said to have approached the house from the street and begun using racially abusive language, which was dealt with separately by the court.

Mr Johnson said: “Clearly what the defendant has done is tried to deal with the matter and he has become aggressive.

“The defendant accepts banging on the door and forcing his foot in the door to stop it being closed on him.

“Whether he knew anyone at the address I can’t say,” he added.

Masawar Iqbal, defending, said his client had drunk around two or three lagers before the incident, which took place around midday on October 7, 2018.

Mr Iqbal said Baltramiejunas knows someone at the address called Jacob and was worried he was in trouble when he heard the commotion.

On reaching the house, he found the door “slightly open” and said to himself: “Let me see if I can do anything” before letting himself in, said his solicitor.

Baltramiejunas claimed he found two males standing over someone, but he could not tell if it was Jacob and was then confronted by Mr Maczka.

As it turned out, Jacob was not as the house.

“He puts his foot in the door and pushes his way into the house and then he punches the victim in the face,” said Mr Iqbal.

“He tells me when he got to the address, he bangs on the door with his hand. There were some witnesses [who claim he was] kicking the door. I am not saying the witnesses are lying. It may [have seemed like he was] kicking the door.”

Mr Iqbal said the home is known as a “nuisance address” and the occupants are “disruptive neighbours”.

He said Baltramiejunas has no previous convictions for violence and his last conviction was in 2014.

The court heard he moved to the UK from Lithuania 11 years ago and has always been in work – the last five years of which as a fork lift driver.

He also looks after an ex-partner’s child every second week.

Baltramiejunas accepted a charge of assault by beating and was ordered to pay a £405 fine and £200 in compensation to the victim as well as £340 in further costs.

He had originally been charged with use of violence to secure entry to a premises and use of abusive language, but these were later dropped.