Neighbours’ feud led man to attack

A MAN burst into his neighbour’s flat and attacked him after months of frustrations boiled over into violence.

Christopher Cheetham, of Woodville, punched his victim repeatedly in the face and head with such ferocity blood was left splattered across the walls.

The pair had been feuding for three months and the victim had threatened Cheetham two days before the attack, in October 2020, by banging on his door and shouting: “When I see you in the street, you are having it’”.

Cheetham went to the victim’s flat and banged on his door at 8am.

He then burst in and shouted ‘I want you out of here by the end of the day’ and punched the victim a number of times, leaving him “dazed, confused, in pain and bleeding”.

Cheetham, 52, contacted police the following to day to admit he was a wanted man.

The factory worker admitted he had gone to his neighbour’s flat to challenge him and had won the fight, but claimed he was acting in self-defence.

He was then charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which he admitted at Derby Crown Court.

Darren Whitehead, in mitigation, said: “This was clearly brewing for some time. Cheetham was so concerned about the behaviour of (the victim) that he recorded him on two occasions in the days leading up to this incident.

“There were threats of violence, threats of violence by others unknown, name-calling and false accusations made about Cheetham by (the victim).

“This is an unfortunate chapter in his life. I submit that it is now behind him.

“He is unlikely to return before this court for similar offending.”

Mr Whitehead said the victim had moved out the flats since the incident and Cheetham had been a “model tenant” since.

Cheetham, who had several previous convictions, including for offences of violence dating from the 1980s, had also reconnected with his autistic son since the attack, and Mr Whitehead said he would suffer if his father was put behind bars.

Recorder Stuart Sprawson gave him a suspended prison sentence of 12 months.

He said: “You chose to take the law into your own hands.

“Not for the first time in your life, you used your fists.

“Anybody with a great deal more maturity and common sense would have dealt with it in another way.

“Your son has autism. It is described as a positive relationship that you now have and there would be fears for his health and wellbeing if you were deprived of contact.

“Your future is in your hands. If you want to go to prison, just misbehave and breach the order I have imposed on you.”

Cheetham was also ordered to pay £500 costs and attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

BURST INTO FLAT AND REPEATEDLY HIT VICTIM