Man cleared of assault in cat poop case

CHIPPENHAM, England, March 11 (UPI) -- A 60-year-old British man was cleared of an assault charge in the case of a fight between neighbors that began with an argument about throwing cat feces.

Chippenham Magistrates' Court in Wiltshire, England, heard Matthew Lucas, 38, confronted neighbor Douglas Pidgeon, 60, after finding cat droppings that appeared to have been thrown into his yard, the Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.

Lucas said he was concerned his 5-year-old daughter could have touched the cat droppings and suffered ill effects.

Pidgeon told the court he threw the feces over the fence because he was tired of the Lucas' cat using his "garden as a lavatory."

"I went out to cut the grass and I scooped it up and lobbed it over the fence. I didn't think anything more about it," Pidgeon said. "I know it was their cat. I just threw it. That was it. I didn't really think about it to be honest. I agree the sensible thing to do would have been to go and speak to the owners. I have never spoken to them about it. It was not the appropriate thing to do, it was quite irrational. I didn't expect anyone to come around at all to be honest. I was quite shocked when he did come to my door."

The argument between the two men turned physical, and during the struggle Lucas' forehead collided with Pidgeon's nose, breaking the skin of the bridge.

Pidgeon pressed assault by beating charges against Lucas but the court found the headbutt might have been accidental during the struggle.

"We find any contact of heads was accidental in the course of the struggle that occurred between the parties," said Roger Coleman, chairman of the bench in Magistrates' Court.