A TAXI was driven at a man in a street in a row over noise from a Boxing Day house party.

The victim, wearing a Santa suit, was struck by Iain Archer's cab outside the house where the party was staged, in Perkinsville, near Chester-le-Street.

A woman was then clipped by the car's wing mirror as Archer tried to reverse away, Durham Crown Court was told.

Archer was charged with four counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, as he was accused of striking up to four people in the incident, in Brecon Place, last December 26.

He previously denied the four charges and was to have stood trial, yesterday.

But he changed two of the pleas to guilty, relating to a 41-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman.

Alex Burns, prosecuting, said: "Based on what the only sober independent witness said and, given the overall state of the case, the Crown is content with these pleas.

"The witness saw a man on the ground in front of the car, having just been knocked down, and then he saw the car reverse up the street and knock over the woman, who was said to be very much worse the wear for drink.

"Indeed, all, apart from the independent witness, appear to be worse for wear."

Both victims suffered knee injuries in the incident.

Mr Burns added: "Two of the men did stop him driving away, going to the driver's and passenger doors and striking the defendant, who then stopped the car and burst into tears."

Archer was said to have driven to the street after hearing that his girlfriend had been attacked when partygoers were asked to reduce the noise.

Warren Grier, mitigating, asked for probation reports to be drawn up before sentence.

Judge Richard Lowden agreed, and bailed Archer, of Grange Street, in nearby Pelton, to return for sentence on January 12.