Hazlerigg man accused of attacking pensioner tried to help after she 'tripped over dog', court hears

A man who denies punching a pensioner during a fence dispute tried to help after she tripped and fell into plant pots, a court heard.

Brian Saunders is alleged to have left Wendy Douglas with a fractured eye socket, broken collar bone, broken ribs during an alleged attack a property on Ascot Road, in Kingston Park, on June 12, 2021. Saunders is also accused of stealing her mobile phone during the incident.

Saunders, of Melness Road, Hazlerigg, Newcastle, pleaded not guilty to counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, causing grievous bodily harm and theft. The 52-year-old is facing a trial at Newcastle Crown Court where he told jurors he tried to help the pensioner after she tripped over her dog before falling into plant pots and 'thrashing' around.

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The court heard Wendy lived next door to the defendant's parents and there had been a dispute over a fence and an ivy bush. On day three of the trial, Saunders told jurors he received a call from his mother on the day of the alleged incident and went to visit her.

He added: "When I got to the house she was a little bit weepy. I told her to pop the kettle on and I will have a quiet word and ask her to stop doing it."

Saunders told the court he went outside to speak to Wendy and she was sitting on a sun lounger. He added: "I said 'Wendy, do you mind if I have a quiet word with you please? She didn't respond. I thought perhaps she hadn't heard me. So I repeated the question slightly louder. She looked across at me and said 'Yes'."

The court heard Saunders asked her to stop cutting his mum's flowers as it was upsetting her but Wendy said his parent's garden was an "eyesore". He added: "I asked if you find it so offensive why don't you get Craig (Wendy's son) to plant a couple of fence posts and put it back up so you don't have to look at it?

"She said 'When your dad gets the ivy sorted. It's causing the fence to rot and fall down'."

The court previously heard Wendy removed the fence, which belonged to her, after the defendant's father allegedly attacked it with a garden hoe because it was leaning into his garden. Saunders told the court he was unaware of the incident and he had helped build the fence in the late 80s for a previous occupier when he lived at home.

During the conversation Saunders said an Alsatian dog was at Wendy's feet, he added: "I was still in my parents garden. She became quite agitated and stated 'It was the ivy, it was the ivy'."

Saunders told the court she went to stand up out of her chair and "stumbled over her dog" and gave out a "short cry" as she fell, stretching her hand out as she fell. "She fell forward, as I say, she was facing me," he added. "She fell toward two overturned plant pots. From what I could see, I saw her hit one plant pot as she fell.

"It tried to help her up. I stepped through the ivy. I tried to lift her under the arms using my hands. They were under her armpits. She was facing towards me. I lifted her, it was as if she was a dead weight.

"I got her to a position where she was not up right but her knees about six to eight inches from the ground.

"I lost my grip and she fell backwards to the right of the chair. She started thrashing around, I honestly thought she had suffered a seizure.

"Thrashing rounds was the best way to describe it. I was a little bit shocked, and to be honest, a little overwhelmed. I took a step back. I could not believe the speed events were unfolding in front of me."

Saunders told the court his dad appeared and asked "What on earth is going on here?" and Wendy was still thrashing on the floor.

Saunders added: "As soon as she heard my father's voice she sat up, wiped her hand down her face, came away with blood on her hand and said 'I've got you now, I have everything I want' - that is emblazoned in my memory.

"It upsets me now just thinking about this, sorry. I was that dumbstruck at what this woman had said. I'm not proud of what I did next. I started shouting at this woman in the most offensive language I could to describe her.

"I was shouting. I was livid, I could see what her intentions were. I was gobsmacked."

Saunders told jurors he again used explicit language, adding: "I was just so angry." When asked if he punched Wendy, he replied: "I didn't punch her at any time."

The trial continues.