Man City fan daubed garden fence with slogans mocking the Munich Air Disaster

A Manchester City fan locked in a bitter feud with his next door neighbours daubed his garden fence with slogans mocking the Munich Air Disaster, after learning they were Manchester United supporters.

Michael Hatton, 63, painted '58' in reference to the 1958 crash which killed eight footballers, 'City rule OK', 'United are sh**' and 'F*** off' to provoke his ManU fan neighbours Stephen Nelson and his girlfriend Clare Kelly.

Tameside magistrates court heard self employed painter and decorator Hatton had fallen out with the couple over a wooden fence he put up between the front gardens of their properties in Hollins, near Oldham, Greater Manchester.

In another incident when the couple were accused of playing loud music late at night, Hatton who lives with his wife got out his electric drill at 5.45am the following morning and affixed 27 screws to the fence shouting: 'You are going to get this every morning you f***ing scum.'

Following complaints about damage to a wooden post, he later daubed the anti-United slogans on his side of fence so the couple could see them as they walked past.

He was also heard shouting: 'slag' and 'I hope that lady dies' when the couple had Miss Kelly's children and grandchildren to visit.

In a statement Mr Nelson whose £240,000 semi up is currently in the process of being sold said: 'Michael has caused us to live in hell for the last four years.

'We are terrified of it escalating. We have never retaliated. We desperately want to move so that we do not have to live in fear.

'He wrote offensive remarks which obviously put people off purchasing the house. We are worried about the children getting hurt. We feel that this will only end once we have moved. He is fixated on causing us issues and harassing us.'

Miss Kelly said: 'I absolutely hate living here because of him. We have been forced to put the house up for sale to move away.

'He frightens me because of the kids. I tell my family to be vigilant when going out in the dark in case Michael does something. I cannot sit in the garden with my granddaughter. I worry he might throw something over the fence and hurt her.'

Miss Kelly said that she had bought a gazebo so that they could spend time in their garden and not worry about objects flying over the fence.

'He is violent and aggressive,' she addded: 'He genuinely frightens us and makes us feel paranoid. I am constantly checking the garden to see if there is any damage he may have caused overnight.

'We are living in fear. He has made our life here hell in a short space of time.'

At Tameside magistrates court, Hatton pleaded guilty to harassment between February 15 and June 4 of last year and was sentenced to a six month community order with a requirement that he participates with 15 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service.

He was also fined £100 and ordered to pay £199 in costs and surcharge and made subject of a two year restraining order preventing him from approaching his neighbours or entering the curtilage of their property.

Miss Suchitra Goswami, prosecuting, said: 'This is a matter involving a neighbour dispute where the defendant has been harassing the neighbours Clare Kelly and Stephen Nelson. 'This started in 2020. The victims have complained that the neighbour, the defendant, damaged a fence post which separated the garden between the two addresses.

'One of the victims, Stephen Nelson, states that the damage was done deliberately. Before the damage the defendant had installed new fencing on his land. On February 16, the complainant Clare Kelly overhears the defendant outside of the rear property saying to another neighbour, 'I hope that lady dies.'

'She also overhears the defendant calling her daughter a 'slag'. On May 30, the defendant used his drill in the early hours at 5.45 to 6.45 stating, 'You are going to get this every morning you f***ing scum.'

'On June 4, approximately 27 screws were found in the fence between the neighbours' properties. he screws were approximately 1.5 inches long. There was no reason for those to be put there. For another incident on May 20, Mr Nelson states that they returned home to find offensive writing written on the fence, visible on their side of the garden.

'The defendant is aware that the victims are Manchester United fans where the defendant is a Manchester City fan. On the fence he wrote, 'City rule OK. United are sh**. F*** off' and '58'.

'He states that the 58 was a reference to the 1958 Munich air disaster involving a number of Manchester United players who died. This was prolonged period of causing maximum distress to the victims. They have clearly suffered..'

Hatton who had 14 previous offences on his record including battery faced up to six months in custody under sentencing guidelines. His lawyer Mr Mohamed Patel said, 'It is a sad situation. Ordinarily one would expect neighbours to live well together. Initially they were living well together and helping each other out.

'But the issues began in 2020 when the gentleman found a new relationship with his current partner and relationship between the neighbours got a bit sour. Music started being played a bit loud and that started the relationship going into a downfall

'It is always difficult with neighbour disputes. Each party thinks that they are in the right but he fully accepts responsibility for this offence.

'While I accept it is an ongoing dispute which goes back to 2020, this offence dates from 2023. There have been no further offences since June 2023. No further reports from either party to police. There have been no further issues.

'I would submit that things have settled down between the two neighbours.'

Mr Patel said that Hatton claimed to have reacted after getting annoyed that his neighbour had removed some old and damaged fencing after he installed some new fencing. 'In relation to the drilling the night before the neighbours were playing loud music and it was a reaction to that,' he added. 'He fully accepts that he should not have done this.

'There have been no further developments or further issues. I understand that the neighbours' house has been sold. It is just a matter of time before they move out.'