Arrows and knives hitting his fence caused Scott Denman to erupt

A neighbourhood feud involved a loaded gun, knife throwing and vandalised bird baths has landed an Eastern Heights man in court.

After his neighbour allegedly shot arrows and threw knives into his fence, a furious Eastern Heights disability pensioner took out his rage on a bird bath, a court has heard.

Scott Andrew Denman, 45, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on Wednesday (September 1) to using a pole to smash his neighbour’s pot plants and bird bath, and also kicked a screen door until it began to come off its hinges.

Denman was charged with threatening violence to property with intent to intimidate, and causing wilful damage during the incident on November 20 last year.

Office of Public Prosecutions legal officer, Chantel Phillips, said the men were next-door neighbours for two years.

Ms Phillips said the neighbour heard a loud noise similar to a metal pole banging on an object and then saw Denman in his yard where he yelled: “I’m going to kill you”.

She told the court Denman then smashed pot plants before the neighbour locked a screen door and timber door.

He got a shotgun from his safe and loaded it, telling Denman he was going to have to use it.

Ms Phillips said he pointed the gun at Denman who said: “Go on, shoot me”.

After another neighbour told Denman to go home, he left the yard.

“He said he told the man’s son to f*** off, says he wanted to sort him out,” Ms Phillips said.

“He said he (the neighbour) had been shooting arrows into his yard. And knives.”

Barrister Allana Davie, for Denman, said it had been an ongoing dispute and her client “lost it”.

Ms Davie said there was a low fence between the properties, but despite that the neighbour had set up “throwing’’ arrows and knives which he threw at the fence, which made loud noises.

Denman was angry because he had arranged for a fence to be built, with his neighbour sharing the cost.

However, the neighbour said later he would not pay.

Ms Davie said there had been an “incident’’ the night before the bird bath and plant pot smashing.

“Mr Denman stewed over it. In that stewing he thought he would go over and sort it out,” Ms Davie said.

The court heard the neighbour and his children had since left the property, owned by his mother.

“Mr Denman, this could have so easily ended tragically,” Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said.

“You told police it was precipitated by events in which knives and arrows were shot at the fence between the two properties, that projectiles entered your property.

“It appears there has been past animosity (but) no matter how much neighbourhood relationships deteriorate, people must know that they can’t take matters into their own hands.”

Denman was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month supervised probation order. He was ordered to pay $912 restitution.