A HAMPSHIRE photographer took just four seconds to assault the estranged wife of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, a court has been told.

Jay Kaycappa is accused of grabbing Heather Mills-McCartney by her right shoulder in order to swing her round and take her photograph.

The alleged incident took place in a subway on Brighton seafront on July 5 last year.

Prosecutor Dale Sullivan suggested that father-of-three Kaycappa, 32, of The Hurdles, Fareham, and another photographer had hunted Ms Mills-McCartney "like a pack of animals".

He said the four-second gap in the series of photographs Kaycappa took of his alleged victim had a very simple explanation.

Mr Sullivan said: "It would be impossible to take photographs while you were grabbing this lady's shoulder and hauling her round".

The jury at Brighton magistrates heard that he had run along the beach in pursuit of Ms Mills-McCartney and her three friends, who were cycling along the seafront.

Kaycappa's photographs, submitted to the court, suggest that Ms Mills-McCartney left the subway after the alleged assault and chatted with friends. Mr Sullivan said if Ms Mills-McCartney had invented the assault she would not have done this. He said: "It doesn't add up."

Kaycappa said: "If you'd just been assaulted surely your friends would grab hold of the perpetrator, surely you'd scream, let's have a reality check here."

Ms Mills-McCartney had previously told the court that she called a friend for help after getting trapped in the tunnel between two photographers.

Mr Sullivan said: "Any normal person would call for help and cycle in the opposite direction."

Kaycappa replied: "You've answered your own question, any normal person would have cycled off."

Kaycappa denies assaulting Ms Mills-McCartney's friend Mark Payne the following evening. He told the court that there was "a bit of cat and mouse" when he followed her vehicle to a Brighton restaurant.

Kaycappa said three of Ms Mills-McCartney's male friends tried to stop him taking photographs. He said: "I felt threatened, like I was going to be hit."

He said he did not push Mr Payne but put his hand up to protect his camera equipment.

The court heard that in the past, Kaycappa has used ten alias names and six alias dates of birth. He has a total of 132 criminal convictions for dishonesty offences.

Mr Sullivan told him: "Your dishonesty knows no bounds and you will do anything to achieve your goals."

Kaycappa denies the two assault charges.

Proceeding.