A HOSPITAL chef appeared in court yesterday to admit attacking the new man in his former girlfriend's life.

Marc Rayner, 26, who works in the kitchens of Harrogate District Hospital, appeared before the town's magistrates to plead guilty to assault on Andrew Langley after the two men had spent time in a nightclub with Katrina Iveson.

Michael Hammond, prosecuting, said Rayner, of St Mary's Avenue, Harrogate, had got into a brawl with Mr Langley as the three were walking through the town after having pizzas following their night out in Carrington's club.

Mr Hammond said that in the club Mr Langley had seen Miss Iveson, with whom he had started a relationship, kissing former boyfriend Rayner as the pair danced

After comments had been made outside, Rayner had started to punch Mr Langley - who at one stage tried to defend himself by hitting his attacker with a bottle - to the head and stomach.

Rayner had then grabbed Mr Langley in a headlock and banged his head on a gatepost before chasing him several times around a pair of parked cars.

In mitigation, Geoffrey Rogers said Rayner had had a long-term, on-off relationship with Miss Iveson and in the nightclub had formed the impression she was leading him on. There had been talk about him spending the night with her. "She was certainly flirting with him, kissing him as she danced with him," said Mr Rogers.

After hearing Rayner had been convicted of assault in 2004 on another of the men in Miss Iveson's life, court chairman David Gravells ordered probation reports to be prepared and bailed him until March 6.