A neighbour row has boiled over after a farmer was accused of shooting a homeowner and called him a “peasant”.
A High Court judge has ruled that Paul Baxter, 41, a farmer charged with attempting to murder his neighbour can return home to tend to his livestock in Glenarm, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The 41-year-old is accused of shooting his neighbour with buckshot during an incident on land separating their properties in November.
Justice McAlinden agreed to lift restrictions preventing Baxter from entering the village, citing the need for him to carry out essential farming duties.
Paul Baxter is accused of shooting his neighbour with buckshot during an incident on land separating their properties in November (stock pic)
Getty
“The defendant needs to be given the opportunity to look after his farm and his livestock,” the judge said.
Police were initially alerted when Baxter made a 999 call claiming his neighbour was shooting near his land, amid what the court heard was a year-long dispute between the pair.
Minutes later, the alleged victim’s wife reported her husband was bleeding from gunshot wounds to his side and leg.
The injured man later stated he was “100 per cent certain” Baxter had shot him, claiming he saw the defendant standing approximately 40m away with a double-barrelled shotgun while calling him a “peasant”.
Following medical treatment, doctors determined the pellets would naturally discharge from the wounds and the victim was released from hospital.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Bitter neighbour row escalates after man ordered to pay £2k fine over ‘extremely noisy’ dogs barking
- Countryside feud erupts as neighbour accsued of ‘kidnapping’ BEAVERS – ‘It’s a lot of codswallop!’
- Council row erupts as homeowner fined £2k after being taken to court by council over height of fence
The incident took place in Glenarm, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
PA
During a search of Baxter’s 28-acre farm, police did not recover any firearms but seized CCTV systems from both neighbouring properties.
Prosecution counsel Sarah Minford told the court that footage showed the defendant walking from his home to an area behind hedges.
“Two shots can be heard, there is a flash and the injured party can be seen hobbling and inspecting his injuries,” she said.
Police also discovered evidence in the form of a small metal ball, believed to be buckshot from a cartridge, embedded in the rear of the victim’s Crocs sandals.
Baxter denies any involvement in the alleged shooting, telling police he would have been tending to his animals at the time.
Despite prosecution concerns about the safety of allowing Baxter to return home given the proximity of the two properties, Justice McAlinden granted the application to vary bail conditions.
“There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye,” the judge suggested while expressing some concerns about the circumstances.
The court ordered Baxter to wear a recording camera when working outside his home.
“It’s for his own protection and the protection of others,” the judge explained, noting that police would be entitled to access and view recordings from the body camera.