A man who travelled 70 miles to attack an internet chat room rival with a pickaxe handle has become the first person in Britain to be found guilty of a "web rage" attack.

Paul Gibbons, 47, turned up at the home of John Jones, 43, after they exchanged insults in a Yahoo! chat room usually reserved for discussing Islam.

Gibbons, of South London, traced Mr Jones to his home in Essex after accusing him of spreading rumours to other members of the "Yahoo! Islam 10" forum. With a machete-wielding accomplice by his side, Gibbons attacked Mr Jones with the pickaxe handle. He fled after Mr Jones' partner emerged from the bathroom and called for help.

Ibitayo Adebayo, for the prosecution, said doctors later found Mr Jones had cuts to his head, neck and hands.

After Gibbons was arrested, he was found to have boasted about what he was going to do in a chat room to another user. One message posted after the attack read: "It went perfectly to plan."

Gibbons pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding at the the Old Bailey today. Remanding him in custody to return for sentencing on November 7, Judge Richard Hawkins said it was a "most peculiar case."

The court heard how the two men, neither of whom are Muslim but who share an interest in Islam, chatted without incident until Gibbons began talking to a teenage girl in the same chat room. Gibbons subsequently accused Mr Jones of telling other chat room users he was a paedophile.

Outside court, Detective Constable Christopher Creagh of the Metropolitan Police, said: "This is the first instance of a web rage attack."

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