Paul Booth pictured cleaning his pistol (Picture: Cavendish)
Man Shot Neighbour Over Family’s Pet
A narrow escape was the case of a woman who was shot by her neighbour during an argument about her family’s pet-rabbit. Man Shot Neighbour Over Family’s Pet
According to metro.co.uk,details emerged at Manchester magistrates court as Booth admitted threatening behaviour and was sentenced to 10 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay Ms Davis £100 compensation. Man Shot Neighbour Over Family’s Pet
After the case the victim said: ‘Thankfully, I’d just ducked out of the way because the rabbit moved – but he is obviously a good shot and could have easily hit me. He could have killed me if he’d hit me in the right place. Man Shot Neighbour Over Family’s Pet
‘Just months earlier I’d seen him from the upstairs window polishing the same gun, and something told me to take a picture of it. Deep down I think I knew something was going to happen and I felt having picture evidence of the kind of guns he owned would work in my favour.’
She added: ‘I didn’t know what was happening until I heard the bullet whiz past and my blood ran cold. I was just glad my daughter didn’t see it all.’
Booth, currently unemployed, initially became embroiled in a ten year feud with Ms Davis over a petty dispute about parking.
The most recent incident occurred in March after Oreo escaped from her hutch and darted into Booth’s garden through a gap in a broken section of their adjoining fence.
Ms Davis said: ‘I thought he’d shoot her because he is that type and my 19-year old daughter was getting really distressed because she could see the rabbit was out and would have hated anything to happen to her.
She claims she knocked on his door, although Booth’s lawyer disputed her account in court.
In court Booth’s lawyer Humayun Khan said: ‘He is a member of a shooting club. He had seen the victim in his garden but disputes the fact that she says she knocked on his front door. He also says that he has CCTV footage showing that she didn’t.
‘He denies firing the pistol towards the victim but admits that he fired it inside his conservatory.’
Booth was also ordered to pay £250 in prosecution costs and a £115 victim surcharge.
