William of the White Hand
Junior News Editor
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/st...55E2862,00.html
Neighbour feud erupts in race row
Kate Jones, tribunal reporter
08jul04
A SEVEN-year feud that started over a jetty has landed in court, with neighbours accusing each other of racist abuse and intimidation.
The Khalil family, of Patterson Lakes, say they have been taunted and assaulted by neighbour Roy Wallace and his de facto wife Lisa Sturgess.
"I cannot get out of my car without hearing, 'You f---ing black Arabs'," Dr Zeinab Khalil said.
"I've
een advised by police to leave but, frankly, why should we? I've been living there for nearly 10 years."
Hostilities between the families began over the use of a jetty at the rear of their p
roperties.
Mr Wallace claims his boat ropes were cut; the Khalils say their boat was untethered. Bo
th families point the finger at the other.
Later, the Khalils alleged that Mr Wallace's bull terrier defecated on their property.
Both families say they have been videotaped by the other.
In March, Dr Khalil and her husband, Samy, lodged complaints of racial vilification against Mr Wallace and Ms Sturgess in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
"Over the past seven years the Khalil family has been under constant racial abuse, threat, intimidation and harassment by a group of neighbours," the complaint reads.
"The group collectively used verbal and racial abuse in an attempt to force us to move out."
But Mr Wallace, who
is now moving out of the Acacia Cres rental house, claims his family is being harassed and intimidated by the Khalils.
"All I'm doing is protecting my family," Mr Wallace said.
"I admit to saying two or three things, but they were not racist."
Mr Wallace also applied for intervention orders against the Khalils in the Frankston Magistrates'
Court last November, but was unsuccessful.
Yesterday Mr Wallace applied to the County Court to have the intervention order against him lifted.
"My de facto is now on medication, on anti-depressants," he said.
"And myself, I'm living in a world of total fear because I can't protect my family," he told the court.
"I don't believe this intervention order should be upon myself."
But Mr Wallace later dropped his case and was ordered by Judge Roland Williams to pay the Khalils' legal costs of $1650.
Mr Wallace is also facing three
charges of breaching the intervention order between November and March, one charge of using insulting words in a public place and one count of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.
Mediation between the families will be held on Friday.
Charges against Mr Wallace will be heard on August 25.
Neighbour feud erupts in race row
Kate Jones, tribunal reporter
08jul04
A SEVEN-year feud that started over a jetty has landed in court, with neighbours accusing each other of racist abuse and intimidation.
The Khalil family, of Patterson Lakes, say they have been taunted and assaulted by neighbour Roy Wallace and his de facto wife Lisa Sturgess.
"I cannot get out of my car without hearing, 'You f---ing black Arabs'," Dr Zeinab Khalil said.
"I've
een advised by police to leave but, frankly, why should we? I've been living there for nearly 10 years."
Hostilities between the families began over the use of a jetty at the rear of their p
roperties.
Mr Wallace claims his boat ropes were cut; the Khalils say their boat was untethered. Bo
th families point the finger at the other.
Later, the Khalils alleged that Mr Wallace's bull terrier defecated on their property.
Both families say they have been videotaped by the other.
In March, Dr Khalil and her husband, Samy, lodged complaints of racial vilification against Mr Wallace and Ms Sturgess in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
"Over the past seven years the Khalil family has been under constant racial abuse, threat, intimidation and harassment by a group of neighbours," the complaint reads.
"The group collectively used verbal and racial abuse in an attempt to force us to move out."
But Mr Wallace, who
is now moving out of the Acacia Cres rental house, claims his family is being harassed and intimidated by the Khalils.
"All I'm doing is protecting my family," Mr Wallace said.
"I admit to saying two or three things, but they were not racist."
Mr Wallace also applied for intervention orders against the Khalils in the Frankston Magistrates'
Court last November, but was unsuccessful.
Yesterday Mr Wallace applied to the County Court to have the intervention order against him lifted.
"My de facto is now on medication, on anti-depressants," he said.
"And myself, I'm living in a world of total fear because I can't protect my family," he told the court.
"I don't believe this intervention order should be upon myself."
But Mr Wallace later dropped his case and was ordered by Judge Roland Williams to pay the Khalils' legal costs of $1650.
Mr Wallace is also facing three
charges of breaching the intervention order between November and March, one charge of using insulting words in a public place and one count of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.
Mediation between the families will be held on Friday.
Charges against Mr Wallace will be heard on August 25.