Man chainsaws giant middle-finger salute to neighbours as feud boils over into court

The finger sculpture might have sent an even stronger message if it faced the right way.

Residents of Frogmore Cres, Park Orchards, yesterday said they had been caught in the middle of a street war after the man moved into the peaceful area, the Herald Sun reported.

A neighbour said a long-running feud started soon after complaints were made to Manningham Council that the man, 47, had cleared trees on his property in the renowned green wedge.

As the tension in the street reached boiling point, the man chainsawed a 1.2m sculpture of a middle finger out of wood and sat it up in his front yard as a message to his neighbours.

to the Herald Sun and would not comment on whether he had followed orders to remove the statue.

"Leave me and my family alone, I have nothing to say," he said.

Another neighbour, too scared to be named, said the man had terrorised dozens of residents.

"He is the neighbour from hell," the neighbour said.

"We would all be quite happy if he just packed up and went away.

"We've had to endure 18 months of this."

At Ringwood Magistrates' Court last week the court heard a neighbour, John Washbourne, was assaulted after he asked the man to turn off a leaf blower that was sending dust and debris into the caravan Mr Washbourne was cleaning.

The court was told the man headbutted Mr Washbourne, shoulder-barged Mr Washbourne's wife, Judy Lewis, and put the leaf blower in their faces.

After being visited by police following the assault, the man ignored an order to turn down music.

Defence lawyer Paul Lawrie said the man had begun to adopt strategies to avoid conflict and wanted to resolve all matters.

But residents said they were still fearful of the man.

The offender pleaded guilty to charges relating to the assault, sculpture and failure to turn off his stereo and was convicted and fined $700.

In a separate hearing, he was fined $10,000 by Manningham Council after pleading guilty to removing vegetation and doing earthworks without a permit.