Spinster, 72, jailed for spade attack on neighbour

An elderly spinster who broke her neighbour's arm by attacking him with a spade during a dispute over a garden fence has been jailed for 24 weeks.

June Iddon, 72, who has terminal cancer, hit Jeffrey Grundy, 62, with the implement after bringing it over her head "like an axeman" during the row over the long-running boundary dispute.

He managed to block the weapon which had been aimed at his head, but the blow broke his right arm which was in plaster for 14 weeks.



Iddon, a retired civil servant who was given a prognosis of five to ten years to live in 2003, claimed she had been acting in self defence.

However, she was convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm after a three-day trial at Preston Crown Court.

Passing sentence, Recorder Lesley Anderson QC told her: "Notwithstanding your age and physical frailty a message needs to be sent to you that your behaviour cannot be acceptable." She was led to the cells by two burly prison guards and still shouting: "I'm innocent, it's my land entirely."