Blaenau Ffestiniog,Snowdonia,North Wales - OAP 'used iron bar, shovel and saw in parking row attack'

The alleged assault took place near Peniel Terrace on Blaenau Road, Blaenau Ffestiniog

•  23 NOV 2015
• BY HYWEL TREWYN

David John Leavers, 71, denies wounding with intent after alleged attack on neighbour David Lloyd Hughes

A pensioner hit out at a neighbour with an iron bar, a shovel and a saw in a parking row, a court heard.

David John Leavers, 71, denies wounding with intent or an alternative charge of wounding as well as smashing a car window belonging to next-door neighbour David Lloyd Hughes, 51 at around 11am on December 12 last year.

Prosecutor Elen Owen told a jury at Caernarfon court that Mr Hughes’ little finger in his right hand was badly injured and his wedding ring finger broken after the defendant had allegedly “lost it” and “lunged at him.”

Taking the witness stand, Mr Hughes his intention was to take his 84-year-old mother shopping to Caernarfon and Bangor that day. She was ready to go and he went to fetch the car parked at the back of their home but he said it was blocked in by his neighbour.

Mr Hughes said he asked his neighbour in Welsh to please move his car, which he did “slowly” to “annoy him”, he claimed.

Then, when Mr Hughes, went to ask him: “Why are you playing silly buggers?”, the defendant came towards him with a 4ft iron bar.

Mr Hughes said: “He lunged at me with the iron bar. I wrestled it off him because I knew he was going to hit me on my head. He went into his garage and grabbed hold of a shovel and attacked me.”

Mr Hughes said he managed to block up to five blows by holding the iron bar to defend himself.

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Mr Hughes said: “I heard it crack my hand. As far as I was concerned he was trying to kill me.”

Mr Hughes said he then used the iron bar and hit the shovel which “smashed into pieces.”

He said: “I was trying to save my life.”

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The handle broke and the defendant then threw the handle at him.

Despite his finger “hanging off” and the other broken, Mr Hughes tried to drive off but the defendant, of gbb, Llan Ffestiniog, Blaenau Ffestiniog , then came back out of his garage with a saw, hitting it up to 10 times.

Mr Hughes said: “He was smashing my window with it. He was trying for my head. There was a big hole in my windscreen.”

see-http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/blaenau-ffestiniog-oap-used-iron-10488556