Suburban feuds and love affairs land furious neighbours in court

Suburban streets north of Brisbane have turned into battle grounds, with furious residents and jilted lovers hurling missiles over the fence.

Everything from jars of jam to lumps of steel have been launched by cranky Caboolture region neighbours letting off steam after neighbourhood disputes, the local magistrates court has heard.

Morayfield man Damien Paul Belson and Burpengary mother Halie Margret McAleese both pleaded guilty to one count each of wilful damage this week after stoushes with their respective neighbours.

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Caboolture Magistrates Court heard Belson was furious at his neighbour after he discovered the man was allegedly having an affair with his wife.

Belson said he had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the stress of the alleged affair and seeing the pair together.

According to prosecutors a heartbroken Belson started hurling lumps of steel offcuts onto the roof of his neighbours’ shed.

“This defendant is 37 years old, he’s got to realise there is better ways (to cope),” they said.

Magistrate Peter Hasted agreed, however was interrupted by Belson.

“You have another three to four minutes... if you can concentrate for that amount of time, you will walk out of here with your liberty intact,” the magistrate said yesterday.

“As difficult and hard it is, you need to move on.”

He had a similar message for McAleese, who got out of bed one night to take her anger out on her neighbour’s roof after a dispute.

Magistrate Hasted told the woman she needed to resolve disputes by “talking” after McAleese launched a jar of jam, part of an electric fan and a spanner onto her neighbour’s roof one night.

The court heard the mother of three was laying in bed in the early hours of April 12 thinking about a fight she had had with her neighbour when she decided to vent her frustrations.

She pleaded guilty to wilful damage was sentenced to nine months probation 99, while Belson — who had no criminal history — was sentenced to was fined $500 and had no conviction recorded.