A MAN struck his victim up to 35 times with a hammer in a supermarket car park, a court heard.

Gavin Grimshaw grabbed the weapon from inside his car, parked at Woodfield Retail Park in Bury.

A jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Gavin Grimshaw and Edward Harlick got into a row inside the Tesco store at around 10pm on August 4 last year.

Andrea Lock, prosecuting, told a jury that the two men then left the supermarket.

"Gavin Grimshaw got into his car and drove away before driving back, stopping his car in front of Mr Harlick and arming himself with a hammer that he had inside his car," she said.

"Then, getting out of the car, he attacked Mr Harlick, grabbing him by the neck and hitting him repeatedly to his head between 25 and 35 times."

Ms Lock said Mr Harlick had been left with a fractured skull.

Grimshaw, aged 38, of Seddon Avenue, Radcliffe, denies intentionally causing grievous bodily harm.

Susan Hargreaves, defending, said the attack had followed a period of abuse by Mr Harlick and claimed the two men had fallen out about lifestyle.

She suggested that Mr Harlick had greeted the defendant inside Tesco by calling him "gayboy" and had then made other homophobic remarks, although Mr Harlick denied the claims.

Jurors were shown footage of the two men inside Tesco and the leaving at the same time, along with another man, before Mr Grimshaw stopped his car in front of Mr Harlick and attacked him.

The trial continues.