Man, 81, took bat to boundary-row neighbour
A MAN of 81 attacked his neighbour with a rounders bat after a bitter nineyear boundary dispute, a court heard.
Peter Lane won a legal battle with Garry Prince, 57, after he removed a 4ft concrete pillar separating their homes.
Mr Prince then provoked him by insulting wife Sally, 66. A court heard Mr Lane grabbed a rounders bat from his car in Poole, Dorset, last May and hit his neighbour across the back of the legs and forearm so hard the bat broke.
But CCTV showed Mr Prince was unhurt and Tom Wilkins, defending, said: “Mr Prince didn’t flinch and was laughing within moments”
At Bournemouth crown court, Mr Lane admitted possessing an offensive weapon and ABH and got a conditional discharge. Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said: “What makes this sadder is you’re not teenagers. For two men like you to behave that way is disgraceful.”
In a separate magistrates court hearing, Mr Prince admitted using threatening words or behaviour and got a 12-month conditional discharge.