Friendly gesture turned into violence and then an iconic question

The neighbour had invited him in for drinks.

A man repeatedly punched his neighbour in the face after a friendly social visit turned violent.

David Harrison had taken some vegetables over to his neighbour, who invited him in for a few drinks.

But an argument later erupted and Harrison attacked the man, punching him a total of four times in the face and leaving him with cuts and bruises.

It’s not clear what the disagreement was about, but at one point Harrison shouted: ‘Do you think you are the f***ing man of the valleys?’

The victim said he now has anxiety attacks and wants to move as he doesn’t feel safe near Harrison.

Harrison, 37, of Main Street, Bishop Wilton, Yorkshire, admitted assaulting his neighbour, causing actual bodily harm and another offence of assault as he appeared at Hull Crown Court.

Ellen Boyes, prosecuting, said that at around 8pm on July 1 last year Harrison knocked on his neighbour’s door and offered him some vegetables.

The neighbour invited him in and they shared some alcoholic drinks.

The argument erupted after they had been drinking a while. Harrison left the house but returned about 10 minutes later and knocked on the door.

When the neighbour opened the door, Harrison began shouting aggressively.

He then punched the man three times in the face, leaving the victim leaning against his car.

Harrison pushed the neighbour across the bonnet of the vehicle and shoved him to the ground, causing him to land on his back.

Harrison walked towards the him and shouted: ‘Do you think you are the f***ing man of the valleys?’ while leaning over him.

He tried to grab the neighbour with his right arm and shouted: ‘Do you think you’re f***ing bad, do ya?’

A female neighbour had heard the commotion and filmed the attack. She then opened her door and called out: ‘That’s enough.’

As the victim tried to get himself off the ground, Harrison punched him for a fourth time and said: ‘F*** off’, the court heard.

Another man was drinking at the nearby Fleece Inn when he heard the ruckus. He left the pub to find out what was happening and saw the two men.

He spoke to both of them and told them to split up and go home.

‘He noticed that the defendant was agitated and was shouting in the middle of the street,’ said Miss Boyes.

‘The pub customer tried to speak with Harrison and to put distance between the two men to stop them arguing.

‘He attempted to lure the defendant away on two occasions and change the conversation and, on the second time, this was successful and the defendant returned home,’ said Miss Boyes.

The pub customer went to the victim’s home to tell him that Harrison was now at home.

‘They were then interrupted by a knock at the door, which was again the defendant,’ said Miss Boyes.

Harrison tried to walk inside but the pub customer pushed him away and told him that he was not coming inside.

Harrison swung his arm at the pub customer, hitting him. The man swung back at him but missed and fell over.

‘The defendant’s partner and daughter showed up and he then walked back to his address with them,’ said Miss Boyes. ‘The police arrived shortly and the defendant was arrested.’

The neighbour suffered injuries including a broken toe, which may have happened when his shoe came off, the court heard.

He had a large scratch to the back of his head, a grazed elbow and a grazed right palm. He also suffered aches and thought that he might have concussion.

‘It was a prolonged and persistent assault,’ said Miss Boyes. There were four punches to the victim’s face.

‘There was serious physical injury and substantial impact on the victim,’ said Miss Boyes. ‘The defendant accepted that he was drinking at the time of the offence.’

During police interview, Harrison claimed that he acted in self-defence. He had convictions for 58 previous offences, including assault in 2010 and five of public disorder between 2002 and last year.

The neighbour said in a statement that he was worried that Harrison would ‘get away with this’ and that he would behave like that again. “This is making me feel like I want to move house,’ he said.

‘I am getting anxiety attacks from this and I feel sick. I am anxious and feel frightened. I should not be made to feel frightened.’

Harrison was jailed for 16 months and he was given a five-year restraining order.

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