Neighbour dispute turns into alley melee

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on January 11, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man who got into a fight with his neighbour then refused to co-operate with police, has been placed on probation for a year.

Jeffrey Richard Patterson, who pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of assault, was also fined $500, and prohibited from having any contact with his neighbour.

“They do still live next to each other, but they’ve been avoiding each other and he is already not having contact with (his neighbour), and will maintain that moving forward,” Patterson’s lawyer told court.

On Feb. 10 of last year police responded to the report that several people were yelling and fighting in a residential alley. When police arrived Patterson, who had earlier been part of a brawl in the alley, came up to the group and began yelling at one of the individuals, progressively growing more agitated and compounding the disturbance.

Defence explained a disagreement between Patterson and one of his neighbours turned into a fist fight, then other neighbours became involved after they intervened to separate the two combatants.

Crown Prosecutor Kristi Adams said Patterson has a criminal record which includes a conviction for violence, but she recommended only a fine and probation, noting Patterson appeared to come out on the losing end of the fight.

“On this occasion…he seems to have gotten the worst of it,” Adams said.

Additional charges of resisting a peace officer and causing a disturbance by fighting were withdrawn.