Man caused fracture to neighbour's arm in '˜childish' wardrobe dispute

A court heard Christopher Cooper, 34, also broke the victim’s dentures and hearing aid during the sustained attack.

Leeds Crown Court was told the background to the incident, which took place in July last year, was an argument over a wardrobe.

Earlier in the day the victim had taken the wardrobe around to Cooper’s home and smashed it up in front of the property.

The neighbour then returned to his own flat to watch TV but Cooper let himself in and there was a confrontation between the two men.

The court heard Cooper shouted “I’m sick of you, I want you out of my life” before throwing punches.

The victim suffered a fractured arm from the blows and had to spend a week in hospital.

Cooper, of Brewerton Lane, Dewsbury, was arrested and admitting causing the injury but initially claimed he had been acting in self defence.

He pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm. The court heard he has previous convictions for violence.

Anastasis Tassou, mitigating, said the attack happened after Cooper lost his temper over a series of “childish incidents”

He said Cooper and the victim had initially been friends but had fallen out when his client was unable to help the victim move a fridge freezer as he had hurt his back.

He said: “One of the childish incidents was that the defendant came out to find that babies’ dummies had been left on the vehicle.”

He added: “This was not simply someone losing their temper instantly.

“There was a campaign of provocation which led to a final straw.

“His aim was to go over to the complainant’s property simply to ask him to keep away.

“When he was there it got the better of him and he fully accepts that he assaulted the victim in the way described.”

Cooper was jailed for 20 months.

Judge Tom Bayliss, QC, said: “There had been issues between the two of you for several weeks and I am prepared to accept that (the victim) behaved childishly towards you over that period.”

The judge added:”I accept that you were stressed by the situation but you knew that he was vulnerable and you chose to attack him in his own home.”