Workman attacked Leeds resident with his own lawnmower after accusing him of scratching his van

Paul David “became aggressive and violent” after he thought the man had caused the damage to the vehicle when parked up on Beckhill Grove, Chapel Allerton.

The incident happened more than four years ago, on September 10, 2019, but was only resolved at Leeds Crown Court this week.

Prosecutor Vince Blake-Barnard said the victim had been mowing a patch of common land that day close to where the van was parked, with Davis sat inside.

Davis then jumped out of the vehicle and accused the man of causing the scratch to the van, with the victim protesting his innocence and claiming he “wasn’t anywhere near it”.

David grabbed the man’s jumper and ripped it as he “ragged” him about and demanded money from him to pay for the damage. He said that if he didn’t pay up, he would “take it out on his face”. He then lifted him off the ground and threw him.

The shaken man went back into his home and called the police before he came back outside and tried to grab his mower that Davis had hold of. Davis kicked the mower which hit the man’s foot.

A neighbour also tried to intervene but he was threatened by Davis. The 56-year-old was later interviewed by police but maintained the man had scratched his van.

The victim went to hospital two days later and was found to have fractured a metatarsal in his left foot.

Davis, of Oldale Grove, Sheffield, has two previous convictions dating back to the 1980s for ABH, and a caution for ABH in 2010. He denied any wrongdoing for the lawnmower incident but admitted Section 20 GBH on the day of his trial.

Representing himself, the father-of-two asked the judge not to jail him because it would impact on his family.

Judge Simon Batiste gave him a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, 15 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He told him: “The circumstances are a little difficult to understand. Your reaction was extreme, you became aggressive and violent. You either kicked or grabbed the mower which hit his foot.”