Wigan man headbutted neighbour in the face over 'parking row'

A Wigan man has been given a restraining order to protect his next-door neighbour after he headbutted him in the face over a 'parking row'.
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates CourtWigan and Leigh Magistrates Court
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court

John Brierley appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit assault by beating.

The court ordered the 27-year-old, of Sussex Close, Hindley, not to contact his nearest neighbour for six months following the assault, which happened after Brierley got drunk and confronted him about an old parking dispute.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prosecuting, Katie Beattie said that at around 8.15pm on December 21, the victim’s partner answered the door to be met by Brierley, who asked to speak to “the big fella”. After he insulted her, she shut the door on him and shouted for her partner.

Ms Beattie added: “The man continued to shout and swear. He was saying ‘how dare he threaten my family I’m going to ******* kill him’.

“His partner told him to behave himself. The victim then came downstairs and told him to get away from the door.” The concerned woman stepped slightly back into the house, leaving her partner talking to Brierley at the door.

“I heard him telling him to step back and calm down,” she told officers. “He said he would count to five.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She then heard a “thud” and her partner told her to call police. Mrs Beattie added: “She saw blood everywhere. She noticed her partner had injuries to his face.”

The court heard how the victim had had previous “issues” with Brierley’s brother over parking outside the property.

Justices heard the drunk aggressor struck his neighbour hard in the temple before headbutting him on the bridge of his nose. The victim said his children were left visibly “shaken and upset” by the incident.

After his arrest, Brierley admitted everything to police, saying that he had been “drinking” and that the parking row had been “on his mind”.

Brierley was sentenced to 100 hours’ unpaid work and was ordered to pay £100 in compensation to his victim as well as £170 in costs and victim surcharge.