MAN HIT NEIGHBOUR ON THE HEAD WITH GOLF CLUB DURING STREET ROW
Jail for man who also deliberately drove into ex-girlfriend’s car
A MAN hit his neighbour with a golf club after he was criticised for his driving.
Christopher Condliffe also reversed at speed into several vehicles and intimidated witnesses. The catalogue of offences involved multiple victims at several addresses in the Potteries.
Stoke-on-trent Crown Court heard 26-year-old Condliffe left some of them so scared they even considering moving house.
Gary Cook, prosecuting, said the first incident happened near Condliffe’s former home in Goldenhill. His neighbours had spotted him driving, although he only had a provisional licence and no one was supervising him at the time.
Later that evening, on May 8, the couple were alerted to an argument in the street between Condliffe and his brother. They were swearing and shouting and the police were called.
After the officers left, the female next door neighbour approached Condliffe and said he shouldn’t be driving alone as he hadn’t passed his test.
He replied with ‘crude and disparaging’ remarks about her. The woman’s partner then challenged him over the verbal abuse.
“During an argument, the defendant threw two plant pots at him. The neighbour managed to deflect them,” said Mr Cook.
“The defendant went into the house, re-emerging with a golf club and struck him on the head with it.”
His victim suffered a two-and-ahalf-inch cut which needed stitching and left a permanent scar.
Condliffe was on bail for those offences when he went round to his ex-partner’s street on June 6, in breach of an order. His former partner discovered her brother’s car had been damaged and she viewed CCTV footage, which showed Condliffe.
Mr Cook told the court: “He had reversed at speed into her brother’s vehicle, which was parked in the drive. It shunted the vehicle into fence panels and forced back a concrete panel.
The fence backs on to the brother’s garden, where his ex-partner’s children sometimes play.
“It caused £2,000 to £3,000 of damage to the property and £1,000 damage to the car. From there, the defendant drove down the street, deliberately reversing into his expartner’s vehicle. She was upset and called her boyfriend, who came out to the house. The defendant then reversed into his vehicle.”
Police later arrested Condliffe and found fresh damage on the rear of his own car. On June 26, four other vehicles were damaged by him.
He went on to plead guilty to: wounding, affray, dangerous driving, breaching a non-molestation order, criminal damage to seven vehicles, intimidating two witnesses, having no insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
The court was told Condliffe, of Hollingswood Road, Kidsgrove, fully accepted his behaviour.
Barry White, mitigating, said: “He is now in a stable relationship and no longer consuming alcohol. He is making concerted efforts to gain employment.”
But Judge David Fletcher told him: “You face three sets of matters, all of which involve behaviour by you of a fairly appalling character.”
Highlighting the attack with the golf club, he added: “It’s the sort of thing that no neighbour should ever have to go through.”
Condliffe was jailed for two years and six months.
He has also been disqualified from driving for three years and three months and until he takes an extended test.