Nicole Hunt faces Coffs Harbour court pleading guilty to assault after leaf blower incident

A “dreadful” turf war in a well-off Coffs Harbour suburb boiled over when a woman turned up the heat on her neighbour with a leaf blower.

Mark Ward outside Coffs Harbour Courthouse on November 21 after claims he had been assaulted by a Korora neighbour brandishing a leaf blower.

A long festering turf war at a desired Coffs Harbour suburb boiled over when a woman turned up the heat on her neighbour with a leaf blower.

The bad blood between the Hunt and Ward families at Korora was heard at Coffs Harbour Local Court on Monday.

Nicole Hunt faced charges of common assault and intimidation.

Concrete business baron Mark Ward, who wasn’t accused of any wrongdoing, told the court problems began on New Year’s Day three years ago.

The court heard a boundary peg was removed from his Atwal Way address, which includes grass strips either side of a shared driveway.

Mr Ward said he had stopped mowing that section for three to six months because he was “too frightened” after being harassed by the Hunts. No other members of the Hunt family were accused of any wrongdoing.

But on October 13 he received a letter from Coastal Law on behalf of a property owner asking him to maintain the grass.

Mark Ward leaves Coffs Harbour Courthouse.

The court heard that at about 11am on October 30, Mr Ward climbed aboard his ride-on mower and set about the task.

In a video played to the court, Nicole Hunt was seen standing on the lawn out the front of her home filming Mr Ward as he mowed up and down the steep driveway.

Mr Ward gestured toward Hunt - “I gave her a wave because she keeps on filming me.”

After a short period of time, Hunt was seen walking back to her home and returning with a leaf blower.

The footage showed Mr Ward’s mower throwing grass clippings about, while Hunt uses the leaf blower in an attempt to clear her freshly cut lawn of the debris.

Atwal Way at Korora is a shared carriageway which was at the centre of the dispute.

Mr Ward said Hunt pointed the leaf blower at him and something hit him in the eye.

He said he continued mowing for about 30 seconds before retreating to his home as his eye had become “watery”.

After rinsing his eye and speaking with his mother, Mr Ward, 62, called police.

Asked by the prosecutor to describe the relationship with the neighbour, Mr Ward said “it’s dreadful”.

Hunt, who was self-represented at court, cross-examined Mr Ward, noting he was not wearing goggles when he mowed.

In her submissions, Hunt said Mr Ward used his “high powered zero turn” mower to deliberately throw clippings, sticks and rubbish onto her lawn.

She said she filmed Mr Ward mowing because she had been advised to do so by police and when she brought out the leaf blower “at all times did I remain on my property”.

On the day in question, Hunt said she had raised the blower “slightly” to avoid being hit by the mower “within inches” of her feet.

Mr Ward “constantly harassed and intimidated my family”, she said, fighting back tears.

Magistrate Julia Virgo said while the footage showed grass “billowing up into the air” as Mr Ward mowed, it was reckless of Hunt to use the leaf blower at the same time.

She acquitted Hunt on the intimidation charge, but found her guilty of common assault.

Hunt was sentenced her to a six-month community release order without proceeding to conviction.