A PENSIONER has admitted assaulting her neighbour after she allegedly poisoned him with ant killer.
Sally Beaney assaulted her neighbour Matthew Perry – who has late-stage cancer – in a row over their shared driveway.
Sally Beaney outside Southampton Magistrates’ Court Credit: Solent
Signs placed in plant pots outside Beaney’s home and driveway Credit: Solent
The 75-year-old pensioner was previously charged with poisoning him with ant killer.
Beaney appeared at Southampton Crown Court and admitted to causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Matthew.
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They share a driveway in Southampton, Hampshire, and the OAP assaulted him on October 13, 2025.
Matthew, who has “late stage cancer”, was left with swelling on his eye and a “mild corneal injury”, the court heard.
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Defending Beaney, Annabel Hazlitt said the assault was caught on camera.
The pensioner kept her not guilty plea of maliciously using ant killer to poison him on October 13, 2025, “with intent to injure, aggrieve, or annoy”.
She will not be sentenced for the ant killer charge but it will lie on the file in case a similar incident happens in the future.
A charge of harassment has been dropped.
Prosecutor Gaylene Coles said: “[Matthew] is certainly at late-stage cancer, so he is still with us if I can put it in those terms.”
Talking about the damage to his eye, Ms Hazlitt said: “In terms of his eye in relation to this offence, it says there seems to be a mild reaction in the right eye, there is a little bit of swelling in the left eye.
“There is relatively mild corneal injury.”
A previous hearing was told Beaney allegedly accused her neighbour of trespassing and wrongdoing.
The homeowner is said to have repeatedly parked her car to block access to his home and placed plant pots, wooden structures and other obstacles across their shared driveway.
Ms Hazlitt said: “Ms Beaney is now 75. She has got no previous convictions.”
She said that prior to sentencing she will be assessed for a mental health treatment requirement.
Judge Nigel Peters KC said: “I think this should be dealt with at sentencing hearing. It is a neighbour dispute that has gone very badly wrong for this defendant.”
Beaney remains on unconditional bail and will be sentenced on September 18.
