LONDON'S Burning TV star Al Hunter escaped a jail sentence yesterday after convincing a judge a cocktail of prescribed drugs was behind his vicious baseball bat attack on a friend of his wife.

Hunter, 45, of Walton Drive, High Wycombe, who was known as "Pit bull" in the series, appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court wearing a fire brigade tie to be sentenced for the attack on David Deininger on May 16 last year.

Hunter, who has also been a script writer for EastEnders, is well known for supporting the National Society of Epilepsy in Chalfont St Peter and Maplewood School in Downley. He pleaded guilty at a hearing on April 10 this year to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Instead of jail, Hunter was sentenced to a 180 hour Community Punishment Order and ordered to pay towards prosecution costs of £675.

Judge Roger Connor told a tearful Hunter: "Your young son observed it [the attack] and was greatly upset. You have got to accept responsibility.

"You had no reason at all to take that baseball bat into the house.

"I accept on the basis of this report that your behaviour on this occasion was contributed to by the drugs you were lawfully taking."

The court heard that Hunter went to his estranged wife Sue's house in Gurneys Meadow, Holmer Green, armed with a baseball bat late in the evening.

Basil Hillman, prosecuting, said: "Mrs Hunter saw him order Mr Deininger to stand up and saw him being struck by the baseball bat. She then went running out of the house and into the street."

Mr Deininger said he remembered Hunter rushing into the room carrying a baseball bat.

"His next recollection was lying on the floor," said Mr Hillman. "He told Mr Deininger 'you ruined my life – I am going to ruin yours'."

The court heard Mr Deininger needed five stitches in his head after the attack.

He added: "I find it difficult to sleep properly because of my injuries."

After attacking Mr Deininger, Hunter then attacked his car causing thousands of pounds of damage.

But the court heard Hunter had already voluntarily paid £7,500 to Mr Deininger to repair damage to his car and Mr Deininger had written to the Crown Prosecution Service saying he did not wish Hunter to go to prison.

Martin Scott, defending, presented a medical report arguing a cocktail of drugs Hunter had been taking for depression and diarrhoea contributed to his actions.

He said: "He is someone who was as low as somebody can get in terms of what has happened in this man's life. He was taking drugs which had a very bad effect on him. He was told to come off them and it seems that advice was inaccurate.

"It seems coming off the drugs can certainly make somebody aggressive and that is something that is not properly acknowledged. He had a completely unrealistic view of what was going on."