Angry neighbour sent to prison over flytip furore

Mark Edward Isaac, 50, of Station Road, South Shore, armed himself with a kitchen knife in each hand as he went to confront his neighbour, who was tidying rubbish in a communal car park at around 4.30pm on March 17.

Prosecuting, Karen Brooks said: “The defendant began to shout and bang on the window from the inside of his property. The defendant shouted towards him to stay there.

“He then appeared on the car park itself. In his possession he had a knife in each hand.

“He began to walk with his arms outstretched. The victim stood near to a gate which separates the building and car park.

“He was able to prevent him opening that gate.

“The defendant then started to jab one of the knives through a gap in the gate.”

Another neighbour witnessed the incident and came outside to assist.

But Isaac then walked towards him, pointing the blades at him and shouting obscenities at him.

Police found five knives in his flat and saw that he was drunk.

In interview, the father-of-two denied being in possession of knives but said there was a noise outside and he went outside with his catering tongs which he “may have waved around”.

He told officers he slept with knives as he was paranoid he was going to be hurt.

Isaac, who has 10 convictions for 31 offences, had mental health issues.

Defending, Collette Renton said he was an educated man who had been a former junior accountant, with a degree in fine art – but his behaviour changed when he lost his mum.

She added: “He had had some disputes, one with neighours and one with his landlord.

“He could be described as irritated by his neighbours’ behaviour.

“He felt unsafe in his own property.

“On that day Mr Isaac believed the people outside his home were flytipping furniture which agitated him.

“At the time he was working with probation to get his life back on track but he was struggling and he was overcome on that day.

“He began to smoke Spice to self medicate for the depression he was suffering.”

He admitted affray and threatening another with an offensive weapon

Judge Robert Altham said: “You went out armed with a knife in each hand.

“They were knives which would have appeared as being ferocious weapons and which of course could have been lethal weapons.

“The victim was very concerned you may have intended to use those knives.”