A 10 year parking row exploded into violence when one neighbour attacked another and threatened him with a kitchen knife in an alleyway.
Paul Hudson, 57, went on a furious tirade when he noticed rubbish had been thrown into his garden on the afternoon of February 21 2022. He shouted at his neighbour, Mr McAuliffe, calling him a "d***head" and a "baldy b*****d" and saying "I would love to take your head off." As Mr McAuliffe shouted back, Hudson challenged him to come into a nearby alleyway, where he punched him in the face and took out a large knife before returning to his house on St Austells Road, Walton.
The incident, which was partially caught on CCTV, was the latest in long argument between the two neighbours, who fell out 10 years ago due to issues with parking on the street. At Liverpool Crown Court today, December 8, it was heard the dispute had involved rubbish thrown onto cars, slashed tyres, and racially aggravated harassment.
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Prosecutor Chris Taylor said: "The victim was out in his back yard sorting out a basketball hoop for his sons when he noticed there was some food waste over the top of his Land Rover, which was parked in the yard. He made his way back into the house to get a bin bag. When he went outside, the defendant started to shout and be aggressive toward him, using foul language. The victim realised he was intoxicated. The defendant told him to come into the alleyway."
Mr McAuliffe at first went back into his house, but emerged when he heard Hudson shout: "Where are you, you baldy t**t?"
Mr Taylor said: "In the alleyway they approached each other shoulder to shoulder and the defendant punched him to the face, which caused his lower lip to bleed. He then took out a knife from behind his back."
Hudson pleaded guilty to common assault and possession of a blade in a public place.
Charlotte Kenny, defending, said: "He's extremely embarrassed and upset not only to find himself before the court, but more generally in terms of his standing within the community. He's not without reflection and he accepts this incident will have been stressful not only for the victim but for his family.
"On the day in question he says he's more than aware of the dangers of going out with a knife. He says he took it initially to scare off Mr McAuliffe but it doesn't get over the fact that he shouldn't have gone out in the first place. He just snapped. He had a hard week at work. He works as a forklift driver, he works shifts. He doesn't have a drinking problem but he had a drink that afternoon and he observed rubbish being thrown into his garden.
"You can see from the CCTV footage…. neither of the parties come out well from it. There was an element of goading."
Judge Jack McGarva said: "This is a very serious incident. You have been able to see the CCTV which gives a good picture of what has been happening. You had been drinking – it's not a crime. At around 4.30pm there was an unsavoury incident with your neighbour. I can't criticise him for it; he doesn't sit down and take what you are shouting at him, he bites back. I'll never get to the bottom of the true nature of this dispute, But what happened then is completely unforgiveable in any background; you have assaulted him, punching him in the face, and you go on to threaten him with a large knife."
He sentenced Hudson to a total of eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He must also complete 10 days of rehabilitation and 100 hours of unpaid work, and pay £250 to Mr McAuliffe.
The judge said: "The best thing you can both do is ignore each other. That's got to start today."
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