A man slashed his neighbour in the face with a knife - in a row over a cardboard box.

James Garside needed stitches to his nose after Benjamin Rider lunged at him with the weapon.

Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that the argument started after rubbish was left dumped in the yard shared by the men at Stoney Royd Terrace in Linthwaite.

Rider was handed a 26-week suspended jail term after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court heard that the men had known each other since they were at school.

Mr Garside lived with his partner and their baby daughter and their properties were attached with a cobbled yard at the front used by both houses.

Alex Bozman, prosecuting, told the court that issues developed after Mr Garside noticed rubbish being left in the yard. On March 26 he discovered a large cardboard box had been left there and asked Rider’s partner about it.

Mr Bozman said: “Mr Rider came to the address 10 minutes later, Mr Garside answered the door and he (Rider) was in the doorway holding a kitchen knife.

Kirklees Magistrates' Court, Huddersfield
Kirklees Magistrates' Court, Huddersfield

“Mr Garside had concerns that his young daughter might come to harm and offered to fight him (Rider) if he put the knife down.

“There was a verbal argument at the door and Mr Garside picked up a hammer to protect himself.

“Mr Rider turned around and used the knife to slash Mr Garside across the face, lacerating the bridge of his nose.”

Mr Garside fell to the floor where Rider kicked him to his head and body a number of times.

Mr Garside needed three stitches to the cut on his nose and was advised to see a plastic surgeon but didn’t pursue this further.

Fintan Walker, mitigating, said that the plasterer’s partner had suffered from post-natal depression following the birth of their first child.

He told magistrates: “This was a neighbour feud that just went too far.

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“He was upstairs cutting the tags off pillows when his partner came upstairs and he was concerned as to her welfare given her mental state.

“He came downstairs with the knife and ran outside - he was wrong and stupid.”

Magistrates sentenced Rider to 26 weeks in custody suspended for a year.

He has undergo 200 hours of unpaid work and pay Mr Garside £500 compensation as well as £85 costs and £80 victim surcharge.

Magistrates also made a restraining order banning Rider from communicating with Mr Garside or his partner for two years.