A NEIGHBOUR dispute boiled over into violence when a grandfather fractured his elderly neighbour’s eye socket in a row over a sprinkler.

James Ranger, 65, barged into Irene and Brian Smith’s home and beat them with his walking stick because he believed their sprinkler was spraying his side of a garden hedge.

He was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard the violence was the culmination of a 30-year dispute between the Rangers and the Smiths, who live next door to each other in St Charles Drive, Wickford.

Issues have including rows over a fence and a hedge.

The Rangers have now sold their home and are planning to leave the area next month.

The violence happened on October 6, last year when Ranger got annoyed the Smiths’ sprinkler was catching his side of the hedge between their properties.

He marched round to his next door neighbours’ house but Mrs Smith, 74, told him to go away.

Ranger lost his temper, barged in and forced Mrs Smith against a desk and bookcase.

Mr Smith, 75, came in and Ranger smacked him over the head with his walking stick, lunged at him, put him in a headlock and punched him. He then left, leaving Mr Smith with a fractured eye socket.

Ranger, who has two grandchildren, had denied one count of assault by beating and one count of malicious wounding, but was found guilty at trial at Basildon Crown Court.

In mitigation, Ranger’s barrister, Bill Maley, showed the judge letters of support from friends and neighbours.

Mr Maley said: “This is a tragic case. One hopes they will find a place to live where they get on with their neighbours.

“Mr Ranger is a hard working and loyal man who suffers from limited mobility and at the age of 65 has besmirched his character.”

In addition to his suspended prison sentence, Ranger must pay the Smiths £3,000 and £2,500 court costs. He has also been made the subject of a restraining order.

Recorder Martyn Royall said: “You clearly just snapped, but your behaviour was intolerable and more than simply out of order. By your actions, you caused serious injury. This was not the way to behave. A person is entitled to think they are safe in their own home.”

UNSAFE IN OUR OWN HOME

IN a victim impact statement read out in court, Brian Smith said he still had nightmares about the incident.

Speaking after the hearing, his wife, Irene, said: “We have lived here for 49 years and he is a very difficult person to live next door to. We have tried to keep a low profile, but he has been a nightmare.

“On the day of the attack, my husband was using the sprinkler to water the garden. There is a big hedge between our properties, but Mr Ranger said water was going over into his garden.

“We knew he was volatile, but we did not know he was violent.

“He just went for me and my husband suffered a fractured eye socket. It has been very traumatic.

You think you are safe in your own home.

“I am thrilled with the outcome.

The restraining order is the main thing. We now feel we can live our lives.”