Man avoids jail after hitting neighbour over the head with mallet in running feud
🟢 A Jarrow man has been sentenced after hitting his neighbour over the head with a rubber mallet during a dispute in South Tyneside.
Mark Purvis, 60, admitted unlawful wounding following a long-running feud with his neighbour in Cleveland Court. The incident, which took place in September 2024, left the victim with a two-inch head wound that required hospital treatment.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that the two men had exchanged multiple complaints about each other since 2016. On the night of the attack, Purvis struck the man once to the head after seeing him tamper with his outdoor camera.
CCTV footage showed the victim move a piece of wood near Purvis’s door before being hit. Purvis claimed he acted out of frustration, describing it as a moment when “the red mist descended.”
He was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and banned from returning to his home until probation services approve.
