A MAN exposed his penis and he and his partner subjected their neighbours to homophobic abuse in an ugly dispute outside their Ceredigion homes.

The incident took place outside the former home of Jack Furness and Mercedes Hogsevedt in Llandewi Brefi on February 12 last year.

At around 7pm, Rhodri Griffiths and his partner heard a banging noise outside. They went to see what was happening, and their neighbour – Furness – was banging on his own front door, saying his partner had locked him out.

Furness “appeared to be drunk and had a beer bottle in his hand”, prosecutor Brian Simpson said.

Mr Griffiths then found glass in their garden from broken beer bottles, and asked Furness about it.

Mr Simpson said Furness “tried to goad” Mr Griffiths in to a fight, suggesting to Mr Griffiths “use the glass on me” and pulling his ear.

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At this point Hogsevedt arrived “smelling of alcohol and falling all over the place”.

She became involved in the confrontation, shouting that she “hated” Mr Griffiths but “loved” Mr Griffiths' partner, and acting aggressively towards their other neighbour, Margaret Campbell, who had come outside due to the commotion.

The court heard that Furness pulled his trousers down, exposing himself at Mr Griffiths' partner, and shouted “I’ve got a bigger c*** than you. I can take you”.

Both defendants “lunged” at Mr Griffiths, with Furness grabbing him by the neck with both hands, while Hogsevedt misjudged this and fell to the floor.

“[Furness] said Mr Griffiths had killed her, and then helped her to her feet,” Mr Simpson said.

Hogsevedt then got inside the house, and put a cushion on the log burner, as well as one of Mr Griffiths’ trainers, an iPad, and a shirt.

She also smashed ornaments and vomited on a rug. Both defendants then tried to get Mr Griffiths outside, and ended up outside themselves.

“Once outside, Mercedes Hogsevedt began throwing planters around,” Mr Simpson said, including one containing a bay tree belonging to Ms Campbell, while Furness smashed a planter belonging to Mr Griffiths and his partner.

Both defendants then spewed homophobic abuse at Mr Griffiths.

Mr Simpson said the police arrived at around 8.10pm.

When officers arrived, they found the defendants’ young son – aged three at the time – sat in a pram inside, and there was “evidence of a disturbance”.

In a statement read out in court, Mr Griffiths said he felt “victimised, harassed and unsafe in [his] own house”.

Furness initially denied the offences, and claimed Mr Griffiths had knocked Hogsevedt out. However they both admitted the charges in court in April.

Hogsevedt, 32, has no previous convictions, while Furness, 38, has three convictions for four offences – the last of which was in 2003.

Representing Furness, Ian Ibrahim said: “The best point of mitigation is his guilty plea.

“He’s not of clean character, but he has been out of trouble for two decades.

“This was a very unattractive period of behaviour on one night. Nothing like that has ever happened before. It was a one off.”

Ashanti-Jade Walton, for Hogsevedt, said her client was “under no illusions” about the seriousness of the offences.

“There’s genuine remorse,” she said. “This is out of character.

“Unfortunately things got heated. She ended up on the floor and saw red.

“What happened next she is embarrassed by.”

Addressing the defendants, Judge Christopher Vosper said: “Quite what happened on that evening remains a mystery.

"The both of you had clearly been drinking but I don’t think that quite explains the behaviour you engaged in.”

Furness was handed an 18-month community order for exposure, battery and criminal damage. He must complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 100 hours of unpaid work, and must register as a sex offender for five years for the exposure offence.

Hogsevedt also received an 18-month community order for burglary (trespassing in a property with intent to cause damage) and two offences of criminal damage. She must complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and was made subject to a curfew for one month from 9pm to 6am.

Both defendants, now of Penrheidol in Penparcau, were made the subject of an 18-month restraining order on behalf of their former neighbours, and Furness must pay Mr Griffiths £70 in compensation for the damaged planter.