Timothy Nugent in Rockhampton court for assault occasioning bodily harm

A bitter six-year feud between two neighbours has exploded, with a man punched, pushed to the ground and hit multiple times in the eye.

Timothy John Nugent appeared in Rockhampton District Court on April 21, 2023.

The bitter six-year feud between two Central Queensland neighbours has exploded, with a man being punched, pushed to the ground and hit multiple times in the eye.

Rockhampton District Court heard Timothy John Nugent, 44, had an “acrimonious relationship” with his Mount Morgan neighbour.

Crown prosecutor Bianca Volling said the 60-year-old neighbour was sitting on his front porch when Nugent got out of his vehicle and started yelling and swearing at him saying, “You faggot paedophile c--t, I’m going to smash you.”

The court heard the neighbour requested he curb his language as he had a woman at his home, and he would not talk with Nugent while he was acting that way.

Ms Volling said as the neighbour turned to walk back towards his home, Nugent struck him and he fell to the ground.

“That’s the extent of the victim’s memory,” she said.

Ms Volling said Nugent painted his victim as the aggressor to police to minimise his criminality.

“The defendant is to be dealt with on the basis that he delivered three blows to the victim’s head while the victim was on his hands and knees,” she said.

She said the victim suffered a painful black left eye which had a broken blood vessel, as well as a small abrasion above his eye.

Judge Jeff Clarke said in the victim impact statement, the victim expressed he hoped Nugent “gets the help he needs”.

The court heard Nugent and the victim were still neighbours.

Defence barrister L Kennedy said his client, who had a son, had not contacted his neighbour since the offence in March 2022, noting it was a condition of his Nugent’s bail.

Judge Clarke said the assault was “quite gutless, nothing to be proud of”.

Nugent pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and was sentenced to 12 months’ jail, suspended for an operational period of two years.