A row between neighbours ended up in court after one of them accused the other of 'badmouthing' him around the town where they lived.

Jonathan Sherwood fell out with Ronnie Nudds, who he said was disparaging him around Wells-next-the-Sea, King's Lynn Magistrates' Court heard.

It was alleged that their feud flared up when Mr Nudds emerged from his house with a hammer and struck Mr Sherwood on the head.

Both men were charged with using threatening behaviour over the incident, on March 21.

Mr Sherwood, 31, pleaded guilty at Lynn Magistrates' Court this week, but Mr Nudds, 19, denied the matter and will stand trial next year.

Prosecutor Abdul Khan said Mr Sherwood had been at home in Northfield Waye on the phone to Mr Nudds’ father about Ronnie when the teenager walked by.

Mr Sherwood told Mr Nudds Senior “I’m going to have it out with him” and hung up.

Mr Nudds later told police that Mr Sherwood had threatened to stab his son.

Mr Khan said: “An argument takes place outside and [Nudds] said ‘come on then’ before running into his house.

“He was trying to coax Mr Sherwood to come into the house but Mr Sherwood stated they would fight outside if they were going to.

“Mr Nudds came out and hit Mr Sherwood on top of the head with a hammer.

“He pulled Mr Sherwood towards him and headbutted him before trying to drag him into the house.

“Mr Sherwood rolled over and walked away before asking someone to call the police.”

Mr Nudds’ father arrived on the scene and Mr Sherwood told him: “Tell your boy he owes me £100 for my tracksuit top.”

Tiffany Meredith, mitigating for Mr Sherwood, said: “Ronnie owed him a little bit of money but that was nothing much.

“For some reason Ronnie was saying things about him around town, effectively bad-mouthing him.”

She said her client denied the stab threat and what had been expected to be a fistfight turned when Mr Nudds emerged from his house with the hammer.

Mr Sherwood was fined £120 and told to pay costs and a surcharge of £139.

Mr Nudds’ trial is at King’s Lynn on February 7, he was granted unconditional bail.