Neighbour fined over poop-scoop cat fight (From The Northern Echo)

David Blackburn smeared cat faeces over his neighbour’s face

8:52am Friday 15th October 2010 in Consett News By Mark Tallentire

A GUESTHOUSE owner who had been watching England’s World Cup match against the US snapped when the team flopped and smeared cat faeces over his neighbour’s face, a court heard.

Former surveyor David Blackburn’s attack left 66-year-old Elizabeth Lawson so traumatised she took up karate for self defence.

Blackburn, 59, lost his temper after the grandmother put cat faeces left on her garden by his pedigree Burmese cats next to his back door, Consett Magistrates’ Court was told yesterday.

Alerted by a motion sensor behind his Bee Cottage guest house, near Consett, County Durham, Blackburn confronted his neighbour, grabbing her by the collar. Mrs Lawson tried to defend herself by hitting Blackburn with her poop scoop but her blows were feather light, the court heard.

Blackburn then bent down, picked up the cat faeces and rubbed them into her face.

Mrs Lawson said: “Fortunately it was June – it was dry.

But part of it got stuck up my nose. I was so gobsmacked. I just froze. I honestly thought he was going to kill me.

“I couldn’t believe it happened.

It smelled horrific. Cat faeces has a smell of its own.

I felt very, very frightened. He was so much bigger and so much stronger than I am.”

Blackburn denied the attack, claiming his accuser had an ulterior motive for making the allegation.

He told the court: “We’ve had nothing but bad feelings come from both of our neighbours since we moved there three-and-a-half years ago.

“It’s my hope that we can still come back from the brink of where we are at the moment and maintain some civility between us.”

However, presiding magistrate Ian Hewitson told Blackburn he did not believe his evidence and he was guilty of a disgusting and degrading assault which had left Mrs Lawson traumatised.

After 25 minutes’ deliberation, magistrates found Blackburn guilty of assault.

Blackburn, who told the court his income was zero, was fined £250 and ordered to pay £100 compensation, £150 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

He will pay the fees at £20 a fortnight.

Afterwards, Mrs Lawson said: “I still think about it. I can still smell it today, every time I pick the cat poo up from my garden.

“I was so frightened I wanted some self defence, so I took up karate.”

The 67-year-old trains at Stanley and Consett and recently gained her orange belt.

The assault happened on Saturday, June 12, at about 9.15pm.

Blackburn declined to comment after the hearing.