A man who ripped down his neighbour's fence and assaulted him following a 12-year row over the boundary line has been fined.
Mark Donnison, 40, tore down two fence panels between his home and his neighbour James Reck's house, before then attacking him, Teesside Magistrates' Court heard.
He broke the fence up into bits and stamped on it before crossing the boundary line and attacking Mr Reck, who recorded the incident on his phone on May 29.
It comes after the neighbours disputed the boundary line between them for 12 years, Teesside Live reports.
Prosecutor Ian Martin told the court: "The defendant had taken it upon himself to pull down the witness' fence and then to further break up bits of it, stamp all over it before effectively invading over the property line to assault the victim in this case.
"It's all captured on mobile phone footage."
The court was shown the footage that shows Donnison, a factory operative, crossing the line into Mr Reck's garden and appearing to attack him.
In the background of the video, a woman can be heard shouting "look what you have done" and "get off my husband".
In a victim statement, Mr Reck said: "The amount of stress following it has been a nightmare. My stress levels have been heightened.
"Selling our property and waiting to complete the sale - it's increased my anxiety and I'm not a person who usually suffers therefore I know this has been a knock on effect."
Donnison, from Billingham pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property valued under £5,000, as the two fence panels were valued at £50 each, and assault by beating.
Paul Watson, defending, told the court: "Mr and Mrs Reck have moved from the property, he has no idea where they have gone.
"Also what is not noted is this - there's actually two fences attached to each other so Mr and Mrs Reck had, without permission of Mr Donnison, attached their fence to his - screwed theirs to it."
He went on to say that an ongoing dispute had existed between the neighbours for 12 years and Mr and Mrs Reck refused to compromise with Donnison.
Mr Watson told the court how that his client had "lost his temper" after the Recks refused to compromise.
He said: "Afterwards Mr Donnison erected the fence on the proper line therefore the situation was resolved.
"He accepts that he went too far."
He went on to add: "There's clear knee from him into the leg of Mr Donnison which doesn't help the situation. Twelve years he would say of provocation.
"The neighbours have gone. He doesn't know where they have gone to that's not going to continue and he replaced the fence at his own expense."
District Judge Mark Daley asked Mr Watson: "Has the 12-year dispute been about the boundary the whole time?"
Mr Watson replied: "Unfortunately yes sir.
"There's been reports by Mr Donnison to police, especially when a sign was put up and he asked the Recks to remove it which they did.
"Reports by the Recks against Mr Donnison and his partner. Not everyday but on enough occasions to cause an affect with the mental health of Mr Donnison".
District Judge Daley told Donnison: "You pleaded guilty to these offences at the first opportunity. I have taken that into account, along with the fact you are, until now, a man with no previous convictions.
"This is an offence which does merit some kind of punishment, I'm going to deal with that by way of a financial penalty."
The judge fined Donnison £400 and ordered him to pay £150 compensation to his former neighbour.
He also ordered the defendant to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £40 surcharge.
