A gran was left in fear for her life after being charged at by a hammer-wielding neighbour of her son over her request to share the cost of a broken fence.
Yvonne Crews, 64, drove to her son's home in Shiremoor, North Tyneside, on May 9 2020 around lunchtime with her sister to deliver a birthday card. When she got there, her granddaughter answered the door and was handed the card and as this was happening, a dog ran out, which the Mrs Crews managed to grab.
She noticed a garden fence was broken and suggested to her daughter-in-law that they should ask the neighbour to pay half of the cost to fix it. The grandmother walked to the neighbour's home, where Grant Hayward was living at the time with his partner, who answered the door.
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Neil Pallister, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "She asked politely if the neighbours would contribute to the cost of repairing the fence, saying the dog nearly got out.
"The female said she didn't have any money and would not pay and told Yvonne Crews to f*** off and slammed the door. As she turned and began walking away, she heard shouting and the the defendant was standing at the window holding a hammer and waving it around."
Mrs Crews' sister, who was in the car, heard Hayward shouting "we've no money" and "suck my ****". Mr Pallister said: "She then heard her sister shouting "quick, he is coming with a hammer".
In a statement, Mrs Crews said: "On seeing him I was terrified and thought he was going to kill me. I quickly jumped in my vehicle and drove away as quickly as I could."
She added: "The incident has left me very worried. My heart was racing, I couldn't believe it happened, I felt so frightened and feared for my life. I thought he was going to hit me with the hammer."
Police attended Horton Avenue, Shiremoor and Hayward told them he was annoyed at the request to contribute to the cost of repairing the fence and admitted becoming enraged and having "blown a gasket".
Hayward, 34, who has since moved out of the area to The Drive, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, pleaded guilty to affray on the basis he didn't leave the grounds of his girlfriend's property and that the item which landed in the street was his slipper rather than the weapon. He was sentenced to an 18 month community order with an eight-week curfew.
Jennifer Coxon, defending, said: "He explains he got frustrated and flipped. He has mental health issues."
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