Backyard war erupts between angry neighbour and a gardener trimming hedges

A heated confrontation between a Good Samaritan and an irate neighbour has been caught on camera, proving just how territorial some Australians can be when it comes to property boundaries.

Gardener Nathan Stafford was trimming an overgrown hedge at a home in Ryde, in Sydney’s northwest, when he was confronted by a “very angry and aggressive” man.

Although Mr Stafford had permission from a woman on the neighbouring property to cut back the vegetation and clear away the debris, he was verbally abused by her partner as he carried out the job.

“Before I started cleaning up the yard, I spoke to the neighbor’s partner and asked if I could quickly clear up the mess that fell on her side, just to do the right thing,” he explained.

“She was fine with it, so I did my thing.”

As Mr. Stafford began his work, he heard loud shouting in the house.

“I actually started to get worried and wondered if I should knock on the door because I knew there were children inside,” he explained.

The screaming man eventually came outside and took his frustrations out on Mr. Stafford.

“I had to come in quickly and clean up the mess. It only took about a minute. Then a man came out and started yelling at me,” Stafford said.

‘He was screaming, “Get off my f**king property, you have no right to be here, I’m going to destroy you.”

‘I know one thing about these guys: if they want to do something, it happens within a few seconds. Otherwise, it remains just talk.’

Although the conflict occurred earlier this year, Mr Stafford said he shared the footage this week to show how concerned some Australians are about border issues.

“The nice thing about this job is you don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.

Mr Stafford explained that when he cut down oversized trees and hedges, he often had to deal with angry neighbours.

According to Stafford, these situations arise when the plants end up on multiple properties, creating disputes over who is responsible for their maintenance.

Many viewers were shocked by the encounter.

“You’d think he’d be happy that his neighbor’s yard was being cleaned up,” someone said.

A second added: ‘Well done mate. Instead of shouting at you, [he] should have helped you clean up. Good job, though. You sound very streetwise.’

A third said: ‘He looks an absolute joy to behold. He can look forward to a very lonely life.’

“I don’t understand why people have to be so mentally violent towards someone who is doing someone a favor,” added a fourth.

Although Mr Stafford had obtained permission from a woman on the neighbouring property to trim an overgrown hedge and clear away debris, he was assaulted by her partner as he carried out the job