Charges dropped in Guy Sebastian’s neighbour in bitter legal fight

Guy Sebastian’s neighbour has won a major victory in court after his charge of threatening to kill the pop star in a fiery fence dispute was dropped.

Police have dropped the charges against Guy Sebastian’s neighbour in a sensational final chapter for the bitter fight over a shared fence.

Phillip Richard Hanslow had been charged with escalating a long-running feud between the neighbours by allegedly intimidating Mr Sebastian outside their Maroubra homes on January 23.

Police were called to the waterfront suburb about 1.30pm after the 66-year-old allegedly threatened to kill his famous neighbour.

Guy Sebastian has consented to the charges being dropped. Picture NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

On Wednesday, Mr Hanslow’s lawyer Bryan Wrench told Waverley Court that the charges had been withdrawn.

“The charges will now be withdrawn and dismissed,” he declared.

“As I’m sure your honour can appreciate, the whole affair has been pretty stressful for Mr Hanslow.”

Mr Hanslow told reporters he was on the toilet when police barged into his home and charged him with stalking with intent to cause physical harm and damaging property.

Police requested an interim apprehended violence order to protect Guy Sebastian, which prohibits his neighbour from contacting the pop star or entering his property.

The court heard that the AVO will be continued for four more months as a final order by consent.

It will expire in August without admissions to the offences.

Phillip Richard Hanslow has had the charges dropped. NCA NewsWire / David Swift.

The alleged death threats were believed to be the fiery finale to six years of tensions between the neighbours, which were sparked when Mr Sebastian and his wife Jules were building their home.

The couple bought their $3.1m home in Maroubra in 2013 and spent nearly three years overhauling it to create their “fortress-like” house.

Mr Hanslow claimed that the extensive building works created “a massive amount of friction” in the neighbourhood.

He said their fight had arisen from $2 worth of damage to his shared fence with Mr Sebastian, which has since been mended.

Originally published as Charges dropped in Guy Sebastian’s neighbour in bitter legal fight