A retired police officer and his wife were living a quiet and respectable life in a small town in Dorset.
But when a young IT consultant whose passion was fixing up cars moved into their quiet close it started a chain of events that ended in an assault conviction.
Robert Dougall, 41, moved into a £500,000 home in Ferndown, Dorset last year but quickly found himself at odds with new neighbours Paul and Kerry Hegarty.
The younger IT consultant fixes up vehicles as a hobby and sometimes uses a car trailer to move broken down vehicles to his garage which is at the side of his house.
But the established couple found that not only was the hobby noisy – but it also saw him leaving vehicles around the close on a trailer.
And as the garage Mr Dougall used as a workshop is directly opposite the Hegarty’s driveway, issues began soon after he moved in.
Although Mr Dougall parked the vehicle legally, several anonymous notes were left on the windscreen telling him he was not allowed to park there as it could cause an accident.
Someone then made a noise complaint about Mr Dougall fixing cars on his property to the local council. When he submitted a planning application to demolish his garage and build a bigger one for his hobby, several neighbours objected.
Robert Dougall, 41, (left) moved into a £500,000 home in Ferndown, Dorset last year but quickly found himself at odds with new neighbours Paul and Kerry Hegarty
Dougall, an IT consultant, fixes up vehicles as a hobby and sometimes uses a car trailer to move broken down vehicles to his garage which is at the side of his house (pictured)
Retired police officer Paul Hegarty, 63, was angry about his neighbour’s loud hobby
One of those was Mrs Hegarty who wrote: ‘The noise that comes from the existing garage from pneumatic tools and compressors from early to 10pm all days of the week is horrendous. This is not a hobby or obsession but a full-time mechanics workshop.’
Mr Dougall said the canvas cover for his trailer was also vandalised, causing £3,500 of damage.
Tensions escalated further on October 2 last year when the Hegartys arrived home to find the trailer parked opposite their drive once again.
After Mr Hegarty, 63, reversed onto his drive he got out and tutted at his neighbour before shaking his head at him.
Mr Dougall asked them what their problem was and an argument escalated, culminating in Hegarty giving his neighbour a ‘hard shove’ three times.
The police were called and interviewed Mr Hegarty who told them Mr Dougall had threatened his wife, but CCTV showed that was not the case.
Mr Hegarty, who served with the British Transport police for 19 years, pleaded guilty to assault by beating at Poole Magistrates’ Court.
David Finney, prosecuting, said: ‘This is a neighbour dispute on parking unfortunately.
The spot at the side of his property Mr Dougall would park a car trailer to move broken down vehicles to his garage which is at the side of his house (pictured)
Paul and Kerry Hegarty’s property across the way. Kerry wrote that the noise from Mr Dougall’s garage was ‘horrendous’, adding ‘this is not a hobby or obsession but a full-time mechanics workshop’
The front of victim Robert Dougall’s property, with the garage (not visible in this shot) to the right of the house
‘The defendant and his wife arrived home, reversed onto the driveway. An argument commenced, the defendant told him he was parked in the wrong place.
‘Mr Dougall swore during the argument – f*** this and that. The defendant said ‘don’t start swearing in front of my wife’ and pushed him to the chest.
‘Mr Dougall said ‘don’t do that again’ but he pushed him again. He said he would call the police and he pushed him a third time.
‘When interviewed by police the defendant said he heard him say something and walked to the road.
He said Mr Dougall said ‘shut your mouth you bitch’ and ‘shut up bitch or I’ll do you’ to his wife.
‘The incident was captured by CCTV. The complainant doesn’t go anywhere near the defendant and doesn’t use the language as described, he made no threats but does swear.’
Selina Goddard, defending Hegarty, said he had no previous convictions and had been an officer with British Transport Police for 19 years.
She said: ‘It’s particularly sad he finds himself in this situation at this time of life. He accepts he acted inappropriately. Mr Dougall moved in and introduced himself as their new neighbour and they had not spoken much otherwise.
Mr Hegarty (left), who served with the British Transport police for 19 years, pleaded guilty to assault by beating at Poole Magistrates’ Court
‘There was a little bit of hostility because Mr Dougall had some planning permission refused and took issue with a few people. Mrs Hegarty said she felt intimidated by looks.
‘At the time he was under pressure, having tests for cancer and had lots on his mind, he was irritated to see Mr Dougall parked there.
‘He (Mr Dougall) challenged them to say ‘what are you looking at or what are you shaking your heads at’.
‘Mr Hegarty should have, and normally would have, gone indoors but this day his temper got the better of him.
‘It’s not in his nature at all, he wouldn’t ordinarily do that. It was very short-lived, there was no injury and there haven’t been any repercussions since.’
Judge Orla Austin said it was ‘extremely unfortunate’ Hegarty was in front of a court for the first time at 63.
She said: ‘I’m sure the last thing you would wish or want is to be before a court today. I do accept this is out of character so I will deal with you by way of a conditional discharge for 12 months.’
She also ordered Hegarty to pay £400 compensation to Mr Dougall, and a total of £501 with court costs.
Speaking after the case, Mr Dougall (left) said: ‘From the day we moved in they were angry about that trailer. Every time I used it they got upset’
Speaking after the case, Mr Dougall said: ‘From the day we moved in they were angry about that trailer. Every time I used it they got upset.
‘Someone made a noise complaint to the council and said I’ve been running a business and ‘revving engines all day long’, which is not true.
‘On the day in October last year, I was surprised that he got so angry. I was stood in the back, tidying up.
‘Their main complaint was that I was in the way and no-one could get around me, but I had just watched them drive around me to get to their drive.
‘I think I said something like ‘don’t be f***ing ridiculous’ and he said ‘don’t swear in front of my wife and then pushed me. It was a hard shove, I had to take several steps back.
‘He’s taller and bigger than me and I had something in my hands so I didn’t even raise my arms.’
