Man, 81, whacked neighbour with bat in nine-year boundary row over 4ft pillar
A PENSIONER attacked his neighbour with a rounders bat in a bitter nine-year spat over a concrete pillar, a court heard.
A pensioner attacked his neighbour with a rounders bat in a bitter nine-year spat
But Peter Lane, 81, escaped a jail sentence after Judge Jonathan Fuller branded both men’s behaviour “disgraceful”.
They had fought outside their homes in a quiet cul-de-sac in Poole, Dorset.
The fight broke out after Garry Prince made an insulting remark about Lane’s wife Sally, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.
Prince, 57, then challenged Lane, 81, to “sort things out there and then”.
Retired plumber Lane “lost it”, took a rounders bat from the boot of his car and hit Prince across the back of the legs. The bat broke after the 81-year-old hit him again across the forearm.
The court heard the Lanes have lived in the street for more than 40 years.
Peter and Sally Lane
Prince, who moved next door in 2007, claimed the four-foot pillar between their £265,000 properties was on his land and he wanted to remove it.
What makes this all the sadder is you’re not a couple of immature teenagers
The row escalated to a civil court and a judge ruled the pillar was on the Lanes’ land. Prince was ordered to replace the boundary posts he had removed and pay £6,500 in damages.
But the pair came to blows last May after a joint restraining order requiring them to keep the peace expired. CCTV footage showed Prince making insulting comments about Sally Lane, 67, and challenged the 81-year-old to a fight.
Garry Prince at Bournemouth Crown Court
Rob Welling, prosecuting, said: “Mr Lane plainly loses his temper, goes to his car and takes out a rounders bat, and while Mr Prince’s back is turned he strikes him across the back of the legs.”
The footage shows Prince turn to face his neighbour and Lane goes to hit him a second time. Prince can then be heard laughing after the bat struck his arm and broke. Tom Wilkins, defending, said: “Mr Prince didn’t flinch after the blow and was laughing within moments. The injuries were not serious.
“The weapon was not offensive, it had a legitimate use for family games, which is why it was in the car in the first place.”
Lane received a conditional discharge after he pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Prince previously pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour, and was given a 12-month conditional discharge by Bournemouth magistrates.
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Judge Fuller told Lane: “You lost it in response to Mr Prince’s offer to “sort things out there and then. You took the bait.
“There are handbags in the cul-de-sac which spills out on to the street. What makes this all the sadder is you’re not a couple of immature teenagers. For two men like you to behave in that way is disgraceful.
“It’s not very nice for neighbours to look at two grown men fighting, it’s frightening.”