The defendant, James Michael Laverty (50), ‘lost it’ when a long-running dispute over parking spaces escalated.
He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after admitting affray. He was also ordered to complete a six-month probation order and was made the subject of a restraining order.
The incident took place at about 3.15 pm on 18 March in Clos des Corvez in St Clement.
The court heard that the neighbour was working on his caravan and had told his daughter’s boyfriend he could park his car in a space across the way.
Later Laverty walked toward the neighbour, his daughter and her boyfriend screaming and shouting.
The three victims walked away but Laverty went up to the neighbour and waved his fist before screaming in his face. The daughter’s boyfriend later said: ‘I thought he had gone berserk.’
The three went back into the home and were standing in the living room when they heard the front door open and the defendant appeared with a sledgehammer.
Laverty then left the property. The daughter later said she thought Laverty ‘was going to knock my dad’s head off’.
Advocate Giles Emmanuel, defending, said that his client was considered a man of good character and had no intention of hurting anyone.
