A man walked free from Supreme Court yesterday after being cleared of chopping his uncle in the head with a hoe.

Christopher Pond, 41, defended himself against the allegation during an eight-day trial by claiming self-defence.

He and other defence witnesses claimed his uncle Howard (Hobby) Charles hit him with a plank of wood after he threatened to call in the SPCA over alleged animal abuse.

Mr. Pond claimed Mr. Charles was responsible for the deaths of two of his pet dogs one of which was strung up and the other of which died in a barn fire.

Mr. Charles, 50, who runs the Shilo horse-and-carriage business, claimed he was the innocent victim of the incident which took place at the family homestead in Watlington Lane, Devonshire, last March. During his evidence-in-chief, he claimed Mr. Pond went "raving mad like a wild lion" before assaulting him with the hoe and knocking him unconscious.

He admitted he had been drinking on the day of the incident but denied allegations of cruelty to Mr. Pond's dogs.

Mr. Charles spent a night in hospital being treated for a wound to his temple, which penetrated to the bone and needed stitches.

Handyman Arthur Trott gave evidence for the prosecution that Mr. Pond shouted and swore at him prior to the incident complaining about the smell from a pig Mr. Charles kept at the property.

However, Mr. Pond said Mr. Charles hit him with a plank of wood on the evening in question. This version of events was backed by a further defence witness, Mr. Pond's roommate Wayne Coddington.

He told the court on Monday that Mr. Pond picked up the hoe in self-defence to parry the blows from Mr. Charles' plank of wood, and the men fell over with Mr. Pond underneath.

Yesterday, the jury of eleven women and one man cleared Mr. Pond of assaulting Mr. Charles with intent to do grievous bodily harm by a majority verdict of ten to two.

The jury was also asked by Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons to consider a less serious charge of unlawful wounding. They cleared him of this too, by a majority of nine to three.

Mr. Pond, who had been on bail throughout his trial, said as he walked free from court: "I feel very good. Let the truth prevail."