A FORMER leading councillor convicted of assaulting a neighbour in an apparent row over bullying among their children has begun a bid to clear her name.

Jane Parlour was found guilty after a trial in March of kneeing Elizabeth Kearney in the face, dragging her into bushes and pulling clumps out of her hair on July 13 last year.

The 53-year-old, who lost her Dalton-on-Tees seat on Richmondshire District Council and role as its planning committee chairman at elections in May, always denied the charges of assault and threatening behaviour.

The dispute sparked further controversy in the village near Darlington when Parlour submitted an application to her committee two weeks after the fight to build a barn seven feet from the Kearneys' property.

The Kearneys objected to the plan, but while Parlour stood aside for the decision, it was approved against the advice of the planning officer, who deemed it would create “significant harmful impact”.

During a case at York Magistrates' Court, Parlour claimed it was her neighbour started the fight, and she had defended herself.

At the start of her two-day appeal at Teesside Crown Court today (Thursday, September 3), she sat in the dock as her neighbour gave evidence.

Mrs Kearney said they were on good terms until shortly after Parlour reported her son to school bosses for bullying her child last year.

She told Recorder Michael Slater, sitting with two magistrates, they used to look after each other's kids and would collect them from school.

Recalling the day of the incident, Mrs Kearney said she was attacked and neither her nor her husband were the initial aggressors.

Andrew White, for Parlour, suggested his client was on the ground for about 20 seconds after being assaulted and that Mrs Kearney went for her again.

But Mrs Kearney said: "She was on the floor for a split second then bounced back up . . . I did not lay a hand on her apart from holding her wrist to get her off my hair.

"Before she assaulted me, we had words and I called her 'a crank' and she grabbed my hair."

Mr White suggested Mr Kearney held Parlour on the ground and had his fist clenched above her head, while his wife yelled: "Hit the bitch."

Mrs Kearney sobbed as she was accused of calling her neighbour names, and denied claims she had "completely lost your temper" from Mr White.

Parlour, of Village Farm, Dalton-on-Tees, is expected to give evidence tomorrow (Friday, September 4) as the appeal continues.