Narooma woman Angela Taylor assaults elderly lady over ongoing dog dispute

A woman has been found guilty of assaulting her elderly neighbour on the NSW south coast, when an ongoing dispute over dogs reached its boiling point.

Angela Taylor outside Narooma Local Court. Picture: Tom McGann

A neighbourly dispute over a dog has ended in physical violence for an elderly woman, moments after she endured threats of her dog’s death, a court has heard.

Angela Taylor’s attack on her 73-year-old neighbour was detailed in the Narooma Local Court on Thursday during her five-hour hearing, where prosecutors said the 60-year-old pushed the elderly victim into a brick fence on March 27.

The incident left the Narooma woman charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Taylor had previously pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Doug Dick found the offence proven after the hearing.

The Narooma Local Court heard on Thursday that the offence occurred on Isabel St, Narooma, after the victim’s dog “allegedly bit” Taylor’s dog while they sniffed each other.

The incident occurred on Isabel St, Narooma.

The dogs came into each other’s path when Taylor was driving along the street with her dog running by her side.

Taylor parked her vehicle and confronted the elderly woman who was standing in her front yard, yelling at her to “get a hold of your f**king dog”.

The five-hour hearing was held in Narooma Local Court.

The elderly woman gave evidence that she was “frozen” in fear during the incident.

“[Taylor] said if my dog didn’t leave hers alone, she would f--king kill it and dump it in the bush,” she said.

However, Taylor’s lawyer Cheryl Blessington asked whether her client’s anger was not random, but due to the elderly victim’s dog “constantly pooping on her client’s front porch”.

“I disagree with that,” the victim said during Ms Blessington’s cross examination.

The court heard that, amid the yelling, the victim placed her hands in front of her face in a bid to protect herself, before Taylor struck her chest with her right hand, pushing her directly into the brick fence behind her.

The impact left the 73-year-old woman on the ground with a laceration to her right arm and bruising to her back.

The court heard that other neighbours came to the victim’s aid before telling Taylor to leave.

Multiple neighbours told the court that Taylor continued to yell before finally leaving.

The elderly victim contacted police, who visited Taylor’s property that evening.

Body worn footage of the visit was played to the court, with Taylor claiming the elderly woman “pushed her first”, before stating the victim stumbled over due to uneven ground.

“That did not happen,” the victim told Ms Blessington during cross examination.

“I did not twist my story, I am the victim.”

Mr Dick said it was clear the elderly woman was pushed as a result of the ongoing dog dispute reaching its boiling point.

“I accept that Angela was angry and that she had reached her limits, but I do not accept that [the victim] simply fell over,” he said.

The court heard during Taylor’s sentencing that she breached a community release order for a similar assault involving her dog under a year ago.

“You were given a CRO where you promised to be on good behaviour and commit no more offences, but you let things get out of hand this day and committed a more serious offence,” Mr Dick said.

Taylor was convicted, fined a total of $2000 and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order.

An apprehended violence order was also placed on the 60-year-old to stay away from the victim for two years.

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