Death threat in row over a wall

A MAN previously jailed for attempted murder threatened to kill his neighbour after hurling stones at him and dousing him in water in a bitter dispute over a boundary.

A MAN previously jailed for attempted murder threatened to kill his neighbour after hurling stones at him in a bitter boundary dispute.

Brian Hoskins, 57, shouted “I will kill you” at next-door neighbour Nigel Tee after dousing him in water and hurling stones following a long-running feud.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Hoskins – once jailed for nine years after being convicted of attempted murder – had been in dispute with his neighbour of 16 years over a boundary wall connecting the properties.

On August 10 this year at about 12.20pm Mr Tee was in his back garden in Bridgend laying concrete blocks when he felt water being thrown on him.

Prosecutor Nuhu Gobir told the court: “The victim was startled and confused as to what just happened.

“When he looked up he saw the defendant standing above him on the defendant’s decking about 15ft up.

“Hoskins was laughing whilst saying, ‘I’m trying to cool you down’.”

The court heard at the time there was a pending civil court case between the pair over the wall and Hoskins’ daughter had been caught on CCTV causing damage to flowerpots in the victim’s front garden.

Eventually Hoskins lost the civil action to Mr Tee, but at the time it was still being investigated.

The defendant then told his victim: “If my daughter goes to court, I will kill you.”

He then said: “I am telling you I will f***ing kill you if it goes to court.”

Hoskins then repeated: “If my daughter goes to court I will kill you, you little c***.”

He then started throwing “at least 15 stones” at his victim which caused bruising, the court heard.

The police were then called and Hoskins was arrested on suspicion of assault.

During his police interview, Hoskins said he didn’t know why he had been arrested or who he assaulted but said he had an extreme hatred for his neighbour.

Hoskins was found guilty of assault and intimidation of a witness after a trial at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on September 24.

In his victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Tee said he was “living in fear” and “didn’t know what [Hoskins] would do next”.

The court heard Hoskins had been convicted of attempted murder in February 1988.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison but served just over five years.

Defending, Andrew Taylor told the court his client had been left £50,000 out of pocket after subsequently losing the civil action against Mr Tee and could no longer work due to ill-health.

He added: “He does not want to go back to prison.”

Since the incident Hoskins has temporarily moved to a relative’s house, the court heard.

Hoskins, of Pascoes Avenue, was sentenced to two months in prison for the common assault as well as 10 months consecutively for the intimidation of a witness – 12 months in prison in total – with the sentenced suspended for 18 months.

A restraining order was granted, as well as a 12-month community order, a curfew order, a victim surcharge and prosecution costs of £960.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins told him: “It’s always very sad when neighbours fall out. It leads to bitterness, it leads to irrationality and it quite often leads to violence.

“For some time you have been arguing with your neighbour. The matter has been to county court and seen in Mr Tee’s favour.

“That is a running old sore between you.”