A PETERSFIELD banker assaulted a refuse collector outside his home after an expletive-strewn recycling row. Last Friday, Aldershot magistrates decreed that 39- year-old Shawn Woodhouse, of Marden Way, grabbed Matthew Cheyney after the contents of his recycling bin were deemed unsuitable for collection. Woodhouse, a father-of-two, had lain in wait for the arrival of the Veolia dustcart in July, because refuse collectors had for six months 'tagged' his recycling bin for non-collection as it contained items deemed unsuitable for recycling. Prosecuting, Merenda Beckley told him: "You were aggressive from start to finish, lying in wait for them. "You had previously recorded them on your mobile phone – that's a bit excessive, isn't it? – and were watching and waiting for them. "You became obsessed with this recycling issue, and then assaulted Matthew Cheyney and were still aggressive an hour later when a policeman arrived, to the point that the officer had to call for back-up to protect his safety." The court heard that during his arrest, Mr Woodhouse was "very agitated, puffing out his chest". He was "standing close to my face ... was trying to intimidate me," arresting officer Pc Jackson continued. "He was making comments to me like 'it's a power trip for you' and 'you are power crazy'." Mr Cheyney told the court: "When I got to the bin I had a look in it. It was full of black bags, food and bits of bamboo. "I told Andy Tidy (a colleague) to put a sticker on it, and told Jane Perryman, the driver, about it. "The resident was outside. He was quite angry and talking to Andy about why we had left his bin. He became angry and aggressive looking, and Andy told me to call Jane over. I did and walked over to the bin. "He was angry and said we are picking on him. He seemed paranoid, but we were only doing it because it is our job. "I questioned him and asked if he was calling us liars. He lost his temper and went for me. "He leaned across the bin and tried to grab me and threw a punch with his right arm. He didn't make contact, as I got out of the way. I'm sure if he had have hit me he'd have done something to me." After commenting that the bin "didn't have anything recyclable in it at all", witness Mrs Perryman reflected upon a "confusing" conversation of "conflicting messages". "I was not initially aware of hostility. The conversation sounded a bit odd and was going round in circles. I was leaning on a bin and letting the conversation go. "Suddenly, he had hold of Matthew's shirt and I ran to the lorry to call the police. He just grabbed him." Mr Tidy, added that "Mr Woodhouse came out shouting the odds." Mr Woodhouse was arrested and taken to Alton police station where he was charged on suspicion of actual bodily harm. During an interview conducted by WPc Green, Mr Woodhouse agreed he was aggressive and swearing, but he categorically denied assaulting Mr Cheyney. "On my children's lives, I did not punch, grab or kick him. I did not touch him," he said. Asked if he had an aggressive nature, Mr Woodhouse replied: "I stand up for myself but I wouldn't say my nature is aggressive. I work in an investment bank. I wear a suit when I go to work. "You are a tall, large man, and to someone who does not know you you could be described as intimidating," said Wpc Green. "You were said to be muttering and mumbling and three people are saying you were incredibly aggressive. Volatile was a word that was used," she added. Mr Woodhouse admitted that his size could lead to stereotyping, before admitting: "I certainly went out there trying to sort out six months of grief." But he continued to deny the assault, saying: "There was no physical contact whatsoever. I remember it very clearly enough to fund my own court hearing to prove my innocence." "Could you have grabbed him?" asked Rowan Morton, defending. "There just wasn't the physical space for that to happen," he replied. "I never assaulted anyone. I never hit anyone, never grabbed anyone or threatened anyone other than with their job." Independent witness Donald Mantell said he heard "a lot of raised voices" and looked out of his window to see Mr Woodhouse and the refuse collectors some six or seven feet apart. "There were raised voices on both sides. At one point, the younger of the dustmen said something and in doing so leaned forward towards Mr Woodhouse. But whatever he said upset or or angered Mr Woodhouse, as he raised his arm as if to say 'stop what you are saying'." Asked if the two touched, he replied: "No. They never got close at all." Citing the evidence of Mrs Perryman and the attack on a public servant, magistrates fined Mr Woodhouse £365, including £25 damages to Mr Cheyney. After sentencing, Mr Woodhouse said: "In hindsight, I would have played things differently. But I didn't grab him, and it is my intention to at least consider an appeal. I consider myself innocent."
