Matthew Foreman of Selsey Close given community order for assault

The dispute was sparked after Matthew Foreman’s neighbour claimed he was leaving food out on his partner’s balcony in a bid to cat-nap their pet feline.

Foreman and his partner denied the claims and instead said the food was placed in order to feed their own cat.

Tensions grew between the neighbours, leading to an incident outside their homes in Selsey Close, Millbrook.

During the argument Foreman, 49, a father-of-two, assaulted neighbour Jeannine Craven and hurled verbal abuse at Gerald Kayley.

Foreman, 49, appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to the two charges.

Magistrates heard how the incident took place in July last year, outside the homes of the two neighbours.

Prosecutor David Finney said the incident came after a two-month feud, which began after the cat-napping accusations in May last year.

Mr Finney said: “They believed (Mr Foreman and his partner) were trying to kidnap their cat. The cat kept going onto the balcony because there was food out for their cat, but the victim thought they were trying to gain ownership of the pet.”

The court heard how this culminated in a verbal row, in which Foreman claimed he saw his partner pushed over.

Magistrates heard how Foreman “lost control” and stepped in to protect his partner, whom he had been with for a number of years.

Mr Finney said Foreman then grabbed Ms Craven’s wrist during the dispute and shouted at Mr Kayley.

Foreman, who had drunk two pints of beer prior to the row, was said to be stressed from working long hours in his role as a flour packer at the Rank Hovis Flour Mill.

READ MORE

• Teenager punched and strangled her mum before setting fire to clothes >>>
• Top Southampton officer admits police need to do more to tackle crime >>>
• Man caught with hundreds of indecent videos of children and animals >>>

Foreman pleaded guilty to charges of assault by beating and another of using threatening and abusive language.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order.

In sentencing, lead magistrate Felicity Botham said: “Neighbourhood disputes never end well and it is so easy for things to escalate, as we have seen from this.

“They are never happy situations.”

Foreman was also told to pay court costs and charges totalling £435. He was also made subject of a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victims.