Dispute boiled over when man threw secateurs at neighbour's head

A simmering row was brought to a halt after a supermarket worker threw a pair of secateurs at his neighbour’s head.

The dispute in a quiet cul-de-sac in Burton Latimer ended up in court on Thursday (January 4) when Dean Albyn Nicholas was sentenced for actual bodily harm against his next-door neighbour.

Nicholas, 51, had thrown the garden tool at the man after an altercation in Ashby Close, during which the victim had repeatedly backed off and tried to calm the defendant.

Northampton Crown Court heard that Nicholas denied the charge but had been found guilty following a trial at the magistrates’ court. Despite this, he continued to plead his innocence and had made a number of derogatory assertions toward his neighbour since the verdict.

Prosecuting, Jonathan Stone, said told the court that the neighbour had been in his garden when he noticed the defendant sitting in his car, on July 13, 2021.

He said: “He beckoned him over. There have been some issues before that have angered the defendant.

"The defendant went into his front door and picked up a large metal bar of about a metre in length.

“He then picked up some secateurs and threw them at the complainant’s head. He was shouting at the complainant and accused him of attacking him.

"The complainant was heard saying he just wanted to go back into his garden.”

The victim was left with a gash to his head that had to be glued back together at Kettering General Hospital.

Phone camera footage taken by another neighbour was shown to the court. It caught part of the incident, during which Nicholas continued to berate his neighbour.

Nicholas has a previous caution from four years ago for criminal damage and possession of cannabis.

The court was told that he had previously worked for local architecture firms but now had a job at at Sainsbury’s and was in receipt of PIP because he had developed epilepsy fourteen years ago. His barrister Siobhan Cawkwell said he would therefore be unable to pay a large amount of compensation to his victim.

His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo asked for proof of his limited means and questioned his inability to work longer hours, locking him up in the cells for the lunch break while Ms Cawkwell produced the relevant paperwork.

In mitigation, the court heard that the men had all continued to live in the same street since the incident and had experienced no more issues.

Ms Cawkwell said: “It’s fair to say they’re not friends but there’ve been no further incidents.”

Judge Mayo said he believed there was a good chance of rehabilitation and sentenced Nicholas to a 45-week prison term, suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay his victim £280 in compensation at a rate of £40 per month.

- Northamptonshire Police have a page of information and organisations that could provide help those involved in disputes with their neighbours which can be accessed here.