A NEWBRIDGE man who smashed his way into a colleague's home with a sledgehammer and attacked him today had his "unduly lenient" jail term increased.

Lee Anthony Dodd became convinced he was being publicly shamed by the victim, despite there being absolutely no evidence for his beliefs.

He broke into the man's home and fought with him, smashed his wife's car windscreen and tried to force him to hand over his phone and computer.

The whole incident was caught on CCTV, which the victim installed after Dodd threw a brick through one of his windows a week before the raid.

The 39-year-old, of Tynewydd Terrace, Newbridge, admitted burglary, assault causing actual bodily harm and two counts of criminal damage.

He was jailed for two years at Newport Crown Court in July.

But his sentence was today upped to three years by judges sitting at the Court of Appeal, in London, who said the original term was "unduly lenient".

Lord Justice Treacy told the court Dodd's suspicions about the victim were "totally deluded".

He had worked with the man for years and wrongly believed he had posted compromising pictures of him on Facebook, after he lost his mobile phone.

The judge said his accusations were "completely unsubstantiated".

He even admitted to police he had neither seen any such photos being posted, nor been told as such by anyone else.

Despite that, he became convinced his colleague had wronged him and set about trying to "ruin his holiday".

While the victim was on vacation, Dodd - who appeared in court over a video link from prison - threw a brick through his window on May 17.

When he returned home, the victim installed CCTV cameras in a bid to shore-up his security.

But on May 24, Dodd went back to the house and smashed his way in with the sledgehammer.

The victim, hearing the sound of breaking glass as he was going to bed, ran downstairs to see Dodd in the hallway.

There was a struggle between them, during which Dodd swung the sledgehammer at the victim.

Fortunately, he managed to dodge the blow, but was left with cuts and bruises to his face, head and body.

Dodd demanded the victim's mobile phone and computer, and made it clear he was going to smash them up.

He also stamped on a television and smashed the victim's wife's car windscreen.

The next evening, he handed himself in to police and admitted everything.

The victim and his wife were left badly shaken by the incident and felt unsafe in their own home.

Lawyers for the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, argued Dodd's original sentence was "far too short" for his serious crimes.

Lord Justice Teacy, sitting with Mrs Justice McGowan and Judge Adele Williams, agreed and increased his jail term by a year.

He said: "It seems clear to us that the significant physical assault carried out in the victim's home, was a substantially aggravating factor.

"We are satisfied that the sentence which was passed failed to reflect the gravity of the offending.

"It was unduly lenient.

"It seems to us that a sentence of three years should have been passed to reflect not only the intrusion into the victim's home, but also the violence offered.

"In particular, we have had regard to the continuing effect on the victim and his wife."