A retired police officer who kept horses verbally abused and physically attacked a show jumper who rented an adjacent paddock during a bitter argument over fencing.
asserted
who → keep → fencing
Gillian Crann, 62, branded champion show jumper Amy Meecham a 'd*ke' and 'c*ck in a frock' after one of her horses chewed through a fence dividing the two women's paddocks, a court heard.
asserted
court → brand → paddocks
Ostensibly the two women had a great deal in common: as well as both being horse enthusiasts renting adjacent fields, Mrs Meecham was a serving police sergeant in the same force where retired Crann had spent her career.
asserted
Crann → have → career
But a bitter feud developed between the pair over the boundaries of their adjoining paddocks at Rodley Fold Farm in Leeds, where both kept their horses.
asserted
both → develop → horses
One of Mrs Meecham's mounts had chewed through a fence separating the two plots and Crann had insisted it be replaced, which the serving West Yorkshire Police sergeant had promised to do.
asserted
sergeant → chew → which
Married Mrs Meecham, an accomplished event rider with the Forces Equine and who competed at this year's Royal Windsor Horse Show, had bought replacement stakes for the longer term repair and installed a temporary electric fence in the meantime to keep their respective horses apart.
asserted
who → compete → horses
Champion show jumper Amy Meecham, who is also a serving police officer was slapped, scratched and called a 'd*ke' and 'c*ck in a frock' by a horse owner in a row over a fence
Retired police officer Gillian Crann, 62, launched the verbal and physical attack on Mrs Meecham after one of her horses chewed through a fence dividing the women's paddocks
When one of Mrs Meecham's horses chewed through a fence separating the two plots, Crann had insisted it be replaced.
asserted
it → serve → plots
Mrs Meecham had set up a temporary electric fence to separate the women's horses and bought bought replacement stakes.
asserted
Meecham → set → stakes
But on October 11 last year, Crann lost patience and marched across to Mrs Meecham's plot to confront her about it
But, on October 11, last year, Crann's patience snapped over perceived delays to the repair and she angrily confronted her neighbour - striding into her enclosed two-and-a-half acre field to confront her.
asserted
she → lose → her
Mrs Meecham told Leeds Magistrates' Court how Crann owned the boundary fence that separated their two fields but her own horse had chewed a post, which horses often do.
asserted
horses → tell → which
Mrs Meecham, still wearing her West Yorkshire Police uniform as she had gone to the yard straight from work, was feeding and watering her horses when she noticed Crann striding towards her through her paddock.
asserted
Crann → wear → paddock
'I asked her calmly to get out of my field.
asserted
I → ask → field
She had previously come into my field and refused to leave,' Mrs Meecham explained to the court.
asserted
Meecham → come → court
'I asked her to leave several times, but she said 'It is trespass, it's a civil matter'.
asserted
it → ask → her
Mrs Meecham, who acknowledged she is physically much bigger than Crann, said she remained level and calm while walking towards her, continually asking her to leave her field.
asserted
she → acknowledge → field
'She was getting more and more angry and annoyed towards me and then she went to hit me around the face,' said Mrs Meecham.
asserted
Meecham → get → face
Crann slapped and scratched at Mrs Meecham, who grabbed her wrists to stop the attack.
asserted
who → slap → attack
She also grabbed at the collar of her police shirt and ripped it, tearing off a button and an epaulette from the shoulder.
asserted
She → grab → shoulder
'She was wild,' the police officer recalled.
asserted
officer → recall → ?
She was saying 'You are not at work now, you can't make me leave'.
asserted
me → say → work
'I pushed her away because she was still dragging me and she fell to the floor.
asserted
she → push → floor
'When she got up, she came at me again and kicked my left leg.
asserted
she → get → leg
She was screaming at me.
asserted
She → scream → me
'She said that my husband doesn't love me anymore and that I was a 'd*ke' and 'a c*ck in a frock'.
asserted
I → say → frock
Mrs Meecham said she found the whole incident upsetting as the paddock and her horses had previously been a space where she felt she could go to relax and unwind after work but that her experience with Crann had undermined this.
uncertain
experience → say → this
She went on: 'I was distressed by the homophobic words.
asserted
I → go → words
Why should someone be using that language?
asserted
someone → use → language
Crann was persuaded to move away from Mrs Meecham's field by another woman who has animals at the farm.
asserted
who → persuade → farm
Lee Parcell, who also has horses in an adjoining paddock at the stables, said she saw Mrs Meecham asking the defendant to leave her plot and recalled that she was being polite.
asserted
she → have → plot
'I saw Gillian grab Amy by the neck and Amy pushed Gillian away, in an attempt to make her let go and leave,' said Ms Parcell.
asserted
Parcell → see → attempt
She said she saw the ripped collar and a 'muddy kick print' on Mrs Meecham's jean leg.
asserted
she → say → leg
The witness confirmed that horses damaging posts by chewing is 'completely normal' at stables.
asserted
damaging → confirm → stables
Crann, a widow, who retired from the police 13 years ago, said she had entered her neighbour's plot to discuss when the fence would be replaced.
asserted
fence → retire → plot
She claimed she only acted in self-defence after Mrs Meecham used a palm strike - a recognised police technique - to push her to the ground.
asserted
Meecham → claim → ground
'To stop myself falling I grabbed her shirt,' she told the court.
asserted
she → stop → court
She also claimed Mrs Meecham struck her in the face.
asserted
Meecham → claim → face
'I didn't say that her husband didn't love her anymore,' said Crann.
asserted
Crann → say → her
But she did admit calling her a 'd*ke' and using the phrase 'c*ck in a frock'.
asserted
she → admit → frock
She explained: 'It came out because I was describing her as being manly looking.
asserted
I → explain → her
'With her being a serving police officer, like I was myself, she'll have been called a lot worse.
asserted
she → serve → ?
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
