Father of three was 'scared' of neighbour months before fatal attack, court hears

A father of three had said he was “scared” of a neighbour months before he was stabbed to death outside his home, a court has heard.

Matthew Boorman, 43, said Can Arslan, 52 had subjected him and others to years of threats and abuse, including calling him [Mr Boorman] “Hitler”.

He said he was “very scared” of what his neighbour since 2013 might do and did not “know what he’s capable of”.

Mr Boorman was fatally attacked by Arslan, on his front lawn in Snowdonia Road, Walton Cardiff, near Tewkesbury,
Gloucestershire, in October.

Arslan had been harassing the victim and other people living on a new-build development for years and had been charged with harassment just a week before the killing, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Kate Brunner QC, prosecuting, read out comments made as part of civil injunction proceedings launched by Tewkesbury Borough Council to stop Arslan’s anti-social behaviour.

In a statement made in May last year, Mr Boorman detailed a 30-minute telephone conversation he had heard Arslan making the previous evening.

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He said: “I could hear Mr Arslan speaking in his [back] garden in a raised voice and could make out he was making reference to being arrested last Tuesday,” Mr Boorman said.

Arslan, he said, was speaking loudly because, he suspected, his neighbour wanted him to hear what he was saying.

Among other comments, Arslan said he liked being arrested, was unhinged and missed prison food.

Mr Boorman said: “He referred to an incident in 2009 when he assaulted someone after a road rage incident and put them in intensive care. If he would have killed that guy he would be out by now.

“He talks about hoping he would go to prison and would get out early because he is unhinged.

“Due to ongoing issues, hearing this from Mr Arslan caused me to feel very intimidated and concerned for the safety of myself and my family,” Mr Boorman said.

“I genuinely fear his conversation was meant to be overheard by us, to let us know that he isn’t scared of the police, is willing to go to prison, and when he is released he won’t forget about the incident,” he added.

Video released by Gloucestershire Constabulary showed Arslan going to a different local address and forcing his way into the garden pursued by an off-duty police officer, Sergeant Steve Wilkinson.

Mr Boorman had just returned from work when Arslan stabbed him.

His wife, Sarah, witnessed the entire attack and tried to pull Arslan off her husband, suffering a deep wound to her thigh as a result.

Arslan, who is Turkish, accuses the Boormans of racially abusing him.

He has admitted the attempted murder of another local man, Peter Marsden, causing grievous bodily harm to Mrs Boorman, and a charge of affray, but denies murder, claiming he was in the grip of a psychiatric disorder.

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