Yahoo News War of the roses! Dad, 82, jailed for flower feud with son over rival garden centre
An 82-year-old grandfather has been jailed for attacking his own son – in a bitter row over their rival FLOWER businesses.
Raymond Hill shoved his son, Paul, 49, as he took a delivery of flowers and plants at his garden centre, which is yards from his dad’s nursery.
That outburst breached an earlier restraining order given to Hill for harassing his son who lives next door.
The father and son have been locked in an eight-year long feud over their rival nursery businesses which they run from their homes.
A court heard Hill was ‘bitter’ after Paul set up Brookfield Nurseries next door to his own High Bank Nurseries in the posh Worcestershire village of Belbroughton.
Divorced Hill was found guilty of assault and breaching a restraining order.
He was jailed for two months at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday and ordered to pay £250 costs.
‘He has been sent to prison once already in this sorry saga,’ said Judge Robert Juckes QC.
‘I’m really getting to my wits end as to what to do with you, I thought the only sensible thing was to give you one last chance.
‘I can’t possibly deal with this matter without imposing a custodial sentence. If you go on committing these offences the sentences will simply get longer and longer.’
The court heard Hill had repeatedly breached a restraining order which was first imposed on October 19, 2010.
On March 30, 2017, Paul saw his father staring at him over the fence which was also captured on CCTV, breaching the terms of the restraining order.
The order prevents him having contact with his son and his son’s wife, Joanne, looking over the boundary fence into their property and making derogatory statements.
The court heard Hill breached the restraining order in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and has five convictions for 14 offences.
He was jailed for 28 days in September 2012 after breaching the same restraining order.
Prosecutor Amiee Parkes said on May 5 last year Paul and a friend were taking a delivery from a lorry when Hill came outside and stood on the pavement and refused to move, obstructing the trolley loaded with flowers.
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She said: ‘He (Hill) pushed Paul Hill to the chest and there was a verbal altercation.’
In a victim personal statement, Paul’s wife Joanne, 43, said her father-in-law’s presence intimidated her and she suffered from stress and anxiety as a result of his behaviour.
Miss Parkes added: ‘She says she doesn’t think the defendant is stable and doesn’t know what he’s capable of.’
Paul Hill said he had to take medication because of anxiety and stress.
Speaking after the case, Paul said: ‘Ultimately a father and son relationship has broken down.
‘We worked together and unfortunately he has, over the years, become very bitter when I said I wanted to set up on my own.
‘Rather than him go to prison, I wish he would change and let us do what we have to do.’
He added: ‘All we are trying to do is work hard to pay the bills but my father isn’t letting us do this.
‘He’s of sound mind and he is just a bit of a bully.
‘As a human being you can only take so much. quit the business in 2010 and started out on my own.’
