Court: Rawmarsh man denies attacking neighbour with bat

Graham Brookes (53), of St Nicolas Road, Rawmarsh, is on trial at Sheffield Crown Court where he is accused of assaulting Shaun Lyceon.

Brookes denies possession of a dangerous weapon in public and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mr Richard Veni, prosecuting, told the court yesterday that Mr Lyceon had heard a commotion while collecting a takeaway outside his home on the evening of March 10.

He said Mr Lyceon had gone to check what was going on and, when he turned a corner, he saw Brookes “armed with a bat”.

Brookes hit Mr Lyceon with the bat “three to four times”, Mr Veni said.

Mr Lyceon took the bat off him and returned home, he added.

Both men called the police.

The court heard a neighbour saw Mr Lyceon returning home holding the side of his head, which was red.

Brookes told the police that shortly before the incident his window had been smashed. When he looked at his CCTV footage, he had seen a female causing the damage.

“He ran after her and took a rounders bat for protection,” added Mr Veni.

Brookes told the police that the woman had disappeared but a young man appeared and threatened him, followed by an older man who did the same.

Brookes told police he had not attacked Mr Lyceon and, if he had hit him, he must have done so in the struggle.

Mr Veni said: “We (the prosecution) would say it is never reasonable to arm yourself for your own protection and what he (Brookes) should have done is called the police.”

Giving evidence, Mr Lyceon said that Brookes had hit him “four or five times”.

“I took the bat off him and he ran off,” said Mr Lyceon.

Mr Lyceon denied a suggestion by defence counsel Mr David Watts that he had attacked Brookes by “grabbing him on the shoulders and head butting him”.

A transcript of a 999 call Mr Lyceon made to the police was read in court in which he said: “I heard some commotion and basically, he just smashed me literally three times on my head.”

The trial continues.