Bendigo grandfather Anthony Guy attacks neighbour with wooden plank

A feud between Bendigo neighbours has landed a grandfather in court after he bashed a mobility-scooter reliant man with a piece of timber.

A North Bendigo grandfather assaulted his neighbour with a plank of wood.

A North Bendigo grandfather chased down and beat his mobility-scooter reliant neighbour with a wooden plank over a long-running apartment feud.

Anthony Charles Guy appeared in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to assaulting his neighbour on January 2, 2020.

The court heard the 58-year-old grandfather was at home when his neighbour drove past on his mobility scooter.

Guy started yelling at the man through his flyscreen doors before picking up a large timber plank.

His lawyer, Deniz Yildirim, said the mobility scooter rider challenged the grandfather to a fight and Guy intended to “scare him off”.

The North Bendigo man chased the scooter rider down the street before whacking his neighbour three times in the back of the head with the plank.

His victim was knocked off the scooter and lay in the street yelling in pain as he bled from a cut to his head.

The court heard the man was taken to Bendigo Health where he was treated for head injuries and a broken hand.

Guy later told police he attacked his neighbour after the man accused him of being a paedophile.

His lawyer argued the 58-year-old grandfather did not intend to injure his neighbour.

But the prosecution said there was no evidence the attack was in self-defence.

“Was he planning to send three warning shots with a wooden stick?” the prosecutor said.

“This was not an insignificant assault.”

But Mr Yildirim said there had been a history of animosity between Guy and his neighbour, with the pair knowing each other for 13 years.

He said Guy was on a disability support pension because of his psoriasis.

Guy pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury and was convicted and fined $1200.

Magistrate Russell Kelly used a schoolyard rhyme to caution Guy against any further incidents with his neighbour.

“Sticks and stones will break bones – as is evidenced in this – but words will never hurt me,” Mr Kelly said.