A man threatened his neighbour with an axe after she accused him of spying on her and her partner, a court has heard.
Brett Mills, 32, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a female, possessing a dangerous article in public, and cultivating cannabis at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutor Charles Moffatt told the court Mills was at his home in McMillan Crt, Shepparton when the victim attended her partner’s house next door.
The court heard a verbal dispute between the victim, her partner and Mills broke out, because the victim believed Mills was using his CCTV security cameras installed at his property to spy on them.
Mr Moffatt said Mills went inside his property, retrieved an axe, and returned outside to continue the dispute.
The court heard he swung the axe back and threatened the victim with it.
Mr Moffatt said both parties were still engaging in the verbal dispute when police arrived a short time later, where Mills made admissions to threatening the victim with the axe.
The axe was confiscated by the officers.
Mills told police the argument had been building for the past six months.
The court also heard police executed a search warrant at Mills’s property on November 6, 2020.
Mr Moffatt said officers found a total of six cannabis plants, along with a light shade and other tools believed to have been used to aid with growing the plants.
The court heard Mills claimed ownership of the plants and was arrested and taken to Shepparton Police Station to be interviewed.
Mills told police he was growing the plants “for personal use” and that he used cannabis for pain relief.
His defence lawyer said in relation to the assault and weapon charges, his client had sought permission to install the CCTV cameras at his property after someone painted graffiti on his fence.
The defence lawyer also told the court the victim’s partner threatened his client with a steel bar before Mills had used the axe.
He also said since the incident, his client had completed a men’s behaviour course, had been medicated for depression and would complete a family violence program on police referral.
He also told the court his client was currently receiving Newstart unemployment payments.
Magistrate Peter Mithen said Mills should have phoned the police as soon as the argument escalated, instead of trying to “defend yourself”.
“You just don’t do that, if you want to argue with me, we'll argue all day long,” he said.
Mr Mithen imposed an aggregate fine of $600, with conviction.