Jail threat for Kirkby man who punched neighbour in door dispute

A Kirkby man who thumped his neighbour after he was blamed for damaging a door faced prison, a court heard.
Mansfield Magistrates' Court.Mansfield Magistrates' Court.
Mansfield Magistrates' Court.

Steven Crawford’s neighbour returned home by taxi to Hall Street, at 10.30pm, on August 10, and assumed Crawford was responsible.

Prosecutor Robert Carr said the man confronted Crawford and was hit in the back of the head.

“He didn’t feel any immediate pain because he had been drinking all day,” Mr Carr said.

“A few minutes later he felt dizzy and was concerned, so he rang the police.”

The man was taken to hospital by ambulance but found “there was nothing to be concerned about.”

Crawford, 32, admitted assault when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

He was last before the court for a racially aggravated offence in March 2017, when he received a community order.

Probation officer Cheryl Nisbett said Crawford was “heavily convicted” for alcohol related offences, but had “tried very hard to keep out of trouble” and had kept all appointments with a mental health worker to tackle his previous drug problems.

Valerie Thorpe, mitigating, said: “He had some previous problems with his neighbour getting in his face, in his own words. On this occasion he snapped.

“I would ask you to give him one last opportunity to continue to work with probation. He knows you could send him to prison.”

The old community order was revoked and a new order, for 12 months, with ten days of a rehabilitation activity requirement, was imposed.

A new six month alcohol treatment order was also imposed, along with a six week curfew, from 9pm to 7am.

He must pay £85 costs, and £100 compensation, which will be added to an outstanding court bill of £860, which will be deducted from his benefits.