A MAN was repeatedly struck with a piece of fence after he complained about the noise of up to 20 dogs barking at his neighbour’s home, Bradford Crown Court heard.

He had already put a note through Timothy Davey’s door at his address in Idle, Bradford, asking for the animals to be kept quiet, prosecutor Stephen Littlewood said.

When the dogs had been barking for up to 45 minutes on December 10, 2021, he went to his home to complain.

To which Davey responded: “I’m f***ing sick and tired of you moaning about the dogs,” and punched him in the face.

Blows were exchanged and he suffered grazing and bruising himself in the scuffle.

He then grabbed a fence panel or post and struck the man to the body multiple times, Mr Littlewood said.

He was walking away when Davey hit him again, twice to the head and once to the arm, with a piece of wood with nails in it.

Davey, 37, of Belmont Avenue, Otley, pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of battery on the day he was to stand trial accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court was told that he had 21 previous convictions for 49 offences, including a Section 18 wounding in 2012 when he was jailed for 54 months.

He was in breach of a suspended sentence order for dangerous driving.

A statement from the victim said the attack left him scared for his safety and spoke of the distress the dogs had caused him.

Paul Canfield said in mitigation that Davey had moved away from the area. He did not usually keep 20 dogs. At the time, he had an accidental litter of puppies that had now been rehomed.

The dogs barking had ‘agitated’ his relationship with his neighbour over a period of time.

Davey had enjoyed a good relationship with the man’s parents, calling an ambulance on one occasion which had saved the life of his mother, Mr Canfield said.

He urged the court not to activate the suspended sentence. This was a dissimilar offence that did not cross the custody threshold.

Davey had himself been the victim of assaults in the past meaning that he reacted to perceived threats.

He would lose his place on the waiting list for more suitable accommodation if he went to jail.

Recorder Patrick Palmer sentenced him to five months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation activity requirement.

A five-year restraining order bans him from contacting the complainant.

He was fined £100 for breaching the suspended order which is still running.