Sheffield Crown Court: Thug with a "short fuse" is jailed after he attacked a neighbour with a baton

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 15 how Michael Cavanagh, aged 52, of Well Drive, at Thrybergh, Rotherham, followed a 62-year-old neighbour to his nearby flat at St Leonard’s Avenue and refused to leave before he grabbed an extendable baton from his victim and beat him with the weapon.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told Cavanagh: “On May 17, 2022, there appears to have been bad blood for one reason or another between the defendant and the complainant. They were not on good terms.

“It appears the two men happened upon each other. The complainant went to his home and the defendant ultimately went round to the complainant’s home and that was an unwise decision and it was a recipe for catastrophe.”

Neil Coxon, prosecuting, said Cavanagh followed the complainant to his flat and refused to leave so the complainant picked up an extendable baton to scare him away.

But Cavanagh grabbed the baton after a struggle and the complainant went to the ground and he was struck by the defendant, according to Mr Coxon, and suffered a fractured collar bone and a 7cm laceration to his head.

Mr Coxon added Cavanagh, who pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm, has previous convictions including violent offences against neighbours and people he knows.

He said Cavanagh previously attacked one complainant after a parking dispute, assaulted another in his flat when the defendant had been a guest, had struck out at a complainant’s car, and had headbutted someone else that he knew.

Judge Richardson said: "This defendant has a very short fuse when an argument erupts when there is difficulty with a neighbour or a friend.”

Clarkson Baptiste, defending, said Cavanagh had not started the violence involving the baton and because he has been remanded in custody for three months since May 20 he says his accommodation will be lost.

But Judge Richardson said: “He has an unhappy habit of inflicting violence on people he knows and it does not matter who starts it – he finishes it.”

He sentenced Cavanagh to 11 months of custody and imposed a five-year restraining order to protect the complainant.