Knife threat to neighbour in bins row

A MAN threatened a neighbour with a kitchen knife after a long-running dispute over access to bins.

Philip Gaunt, 55, had fallen out with David Hawkins over his using a right of access through Gaunt's rear garden to take his bins through for emptying.

Barbara Lennon, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court Mr Hawkins lived in the middle property and had no other route to use.

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On March 4 this year, at around 5.45pm when he heard Mr Hawkins moving his bin back from common land through his garden, Gaunt exchanged words with him before running out of his back door brandishing a kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade, threatening "I'll have you." He later said he had been using the knife to cut up food.

Mr Hawkins told him to put the knife down and there was a further exchange during which Gaunt said: "You're younger than me," and Mr Hawkins replied: "Yes but you have got a knife."

Miss Lennon said Gaunt then said he was going to put his boots on and would return and kill him.

When he returned he was still brandishing the knife but Mr Hawkins picked up a mop and hit him to keep a distance between them. Gaunt was shouting: "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to do you, I'm going to stab you with this."

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By then Mr Hawkins's wife had phoned police. Officers arrived and arrested Gaunt in his home.

He told officers he and his neighbour had argued over his using the garden as a right of way and claimed he had pulled the knife to stop the complainant coming at him.

Marlon Grossman for Gaunt said he accepted he went "far too far" and never intended to use the knife to cause harm. He was needed as a full-time carer for his brother.

Gaunt, of Northfield Avenue, Rothwell, Leeds, admitted affray and was given a community order with 12 months supervision and a curfew from 7pm to 7am for three months.