'Woman poked with shooting stick', court told

An angry neighbour poked a shooting stick within inches of a woman's eye following a long running dispute, a court heard yesterday.

Jill Clemow, who was giving evidence at Norwich Crown Court, described how she was subjected to verbal abuse and poked in the face by her neighbour Hilary Carling when she went to intervene in an incident between the defendant and her husband Anthony.

Carling, 56, denies two charges of assault and also denies breaching a restraining order which bans her from harassing or insulting the Clemows.

On the final day of prosecution, three neighbours, who live on The Green in Weasenham St Peter, gave evidence.

Jurors were also shown a film of Carling following Mr Clemow up and down his lawn which one of his neighbours, John Adams, said he shot after the stick incident.

Mrs Clemow told the court she had come to the front of her house to look for her husband after hearing a female voice.

She arrived to find Carling, her husband and Mr Adams on the lawn.

She said: 'She (Carling) walked straight towards him with a shooting stick above her and looked as though she was about to strike him. I ran across to intervene and take the stick off her.

'She came towards us with the stick, almost like a fencing sword and poked it on my left cheek. I remember thinking 'thank god I am wearing my glasses'.

'I went to grab the stick off her and she came down with it as if she was going to strike me.'

Mr Adams also described how he was shouted at and called a perjurer and was accused of bribing the police. He said he had tried to take the stick off Carling because he was worried about Mrs Clemow, but had been unsuccessful.

Addressing Carling, Mr Adams said: 'All I had done is come out to my post box. I certainly didn't expect to be harangued by you.'

Carling, who starts her defence today, claims her neighbours have clubbed together to plot against her and it is they who are harassing her.

The case continues.