A thief and thug who stole an actor’s treasured collection of baseball caps, trainers and watches and also committed a road rage attack has been jailed for five years.

Victim Wayne Taylor was working in Paris in September last year and asked a friend to look after his home in Tonbridge.

She invited boyfriend Mark James to stay and he then stole £25,000 worth of property belonging to Mr Taylor.

The victim returned home to find his collection of 48 designer baseball caps, more than 50 pairs of boxed trainers, four designer watches, several pairs of sunglasses, two guitars, a microphone, aftershaves and thousands of pounds in cash all missing.

James, 37, also resorted to violence, attacking Mr Taylor with a baseball bat, leaving a wound to the back of his head.

He was on bail at the time for more violence when he drove over his victim’s feet and then fractured his eye socket and nose, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

He was driving a Mercedes C220 in Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, in June last year and using a mobile phone when he cut up James Barton at a roundabout.

Prosecutor Mark Mullins said after Mr Barton beeped his horn, James decided to follow him bumper to bumper and drove “erratically and intimidatingly”.

He drove over Mr Barton’s feet when he stopped and got out of his car. He then grabbed the victim by the throat and punched him in the eye, before driving off.

When arrested, officers found crack cocaine and drug-dealing equipment at his home in The Grange, Langton Green.

James, also known as Benjamin Goodyer, admitted theft, assault causing actual bodily harm, possessing drugs with intent to supply and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years “hard labour” in 2009 in Trinidad for drug dealing.

Aparno Rao, defending, said James had since suffered health problems, including post traumatic stress disorder.

Passing sentence, Judge Philip Statman said: “You have a violent temper. It seems to me you are not the sort of individual who likes to be crossed.”