Shocking moment ex-banker knocked his female neighbour out with an axe handle after feud over a privet hedge

THIS is the astonishing moment a high-flying ex-banker knocked his neighbour out with a four-foot pick-axe during a furious row over the height of a privet hedge.

Crazed Christopher Secker, 44, was at loggerheads with Ann Caster, 57, over the bushy hedge separating their homes.

He was desperate to grow it taller to provide more privacy, but tidy Ann regularly liked to trim it back, a court was told.

Their two-year battle erupted in violence last November when a West Highland terrier pup Secker was looking after escaped from his home.

He found the 10-month-old whimpering near Mrs Caster's home and accused her of trying to steal it - branding her "a stupid cow".

He then struck her on the temple with the axe handle and tried to grab the dog from her grasp before sweeping her feet from under her.

As she lay on the floor he repeatedly hit her until she blacked out, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Two of her five sisters - who all live in the street - came rushing out to help, along with one of their husbands.

In the melee that followed Geraldine Morley, 58, was also assaulted by married Secker, from Eston, Middlesbrough. He was later arrested.

Secker's fall from grace was complete today after he admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and possessing an offensive weapon.

He was handed a 20-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

Shaking Mrs Caster said: "We originally fell out over the privet hedge because he liked it to go grow tall and I would cut it so that it looked neat and tidy.

"He did childish things like throwing branches onto my roof and threatening me with solicitors but I never imagined he was capable of such violence.

"I'm a dog owner myself and when I heard the little Westie whimpering I went to help it and contacted the owner.

"I told her I had the dog and would look after it until she could pick it up.

"But she must have passed that on to Secker because he was supposed to be looking after it and he came looking for me.

"He tried to grab the poor dog and swung it off its feet and then clubbed me over the head with the wood he was carrying and kicked my feet from under me.

"He continued to beat me until my sisters came to my rescue.

"This is a nice street where people look after their homes and look out for their neighbours.

"But his actions were outrageous and I think he deserved to go to prison for what he did to me and also for traumatising the poor little dog.

"This has had a lasting effect on all of us."

Secker had previously worked as a business banker for both Barclays and the Bank of Scotland, with a list of 300 "high worth" clients, some of whom had £10m turnovers.

But after losing his job in finance through redundancy he became depressed.

He ploughed his cash into a franchise of the dog-minding service Petpals but has lost it since the fight.

Judge James Brown described his assault as "an astonishing piece of behaviour from someone who is 44".

He told Secker that he had dodged jail by "a very small margin".

The judge described his actions as "foolish conduct" and told him: "You've come exceptionally close to an immediate custodial sentence."

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