Dog 'killed with hoe' in dispute

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A man accused of killing a woman's dog following a series of disputes threatened to become the "neighbour from hell", a court heard.

Tricia Wales, 60, is bringing a private prosecution against Neville Hill, 48, alleging criminal damage after he hit her border terrier with a garden hoe.

Chichester magistrates were told the blow fractured the dog's skull and it had to be put down.

Mr Hill admits hitting the dog with a garden hoe but denies criminal damage.

Mr Hill, now of Copse Lane, Walberton, said he struck Miss Wales' dog, Wurzel, after it trespassed on his property on 21 September 2008 but did not mean to kill it.

I knew immediately what had happened. I knew the threat had been carried out Tricia Wales

Richard Orridge, solicitor for the prosecution, said relations between the neighbours in Yapton, near Arundel, deteriorated after Mr Hill complained her dogs, Wurzel, Kylie and Charlie, got into his garden and left faeces on his grass.

Mr Orridge said Miss Wales did her best to secure the hedge between the gardens and supervise her dogs but a week before Wurzel's death Mr Hill threatened to kill them after Charlie got into his garden and grabbed one of his chickens.

Miss Wales alleges that during a disagreement over a right of way through his garden, Mr Hill said: "I hate you, I want to get rid of you. I want to get away from you as quickly as I can, you and your rats."

Miss Wales told the court when she threatened to take him to court, he told her: "You're going to regret this. I'm going to be the neighbour from hell. I'm going to make your life a misery."

Put to sleep

She found Wurzel lying unconscious on her doorstep when she returned from a shopping trip the following week.

"I knew immediately what had happened. I knew the threat had been carried out. Suddenly Hill came in [to her house] and said: 'That's what I do to rats when they come in my garden'."

Miss Wales added: "I just said: 'Get out, you've killed my dog' and he pointed to Kylie and said: 'You're lucky I didn't kill her too, I could have killed her, I had her by the neck'."

The court was told the police were called after Miss Wales' former partner attacked Mr Hill during a confrontation and advised her to take the animal to the vets.

The dog was put to sleep later that night and the matter was referred to the RSPCA but it did not prosecute Mr Hill because the dog did not suffer undue pain.

The trial continues.