A “nightmare neighbor” who stormed into a grandmother’s house and attacked her in an argument about a four-year-old’s water pistol has been spared jail.

Marina Bolton, 57, punched Jo Bates after her grandson squirted water over the fence.

Bates was attacked at her house in front of her grandsons Matthew, 4, and Bradley, 7. She suffered nasty bruises to her face and body, the court heard.

Details of the spat in Southend, Essex, were heard at the town’s magistrates court. Southend is a small town about 40 miles east of London.

Bates said there was bad blood between the pair because Bolton had planted “huge” eucalyptus trees in her garden and allowed her Great Dane to damage the fence.

She also said Bolton’s CCTV cameras point into her garden.

Bates said: “When I moved in 12 years ago there were no problems but she has turned into a nightmare neighbor.”

“I had my grandchildren here so I went to the shops and bought the boys some water pistols. I put some music on and they were playing in the garden.”

“Matthew decided to water the roses and some of the water went over the fence. He is only four years old. There was just the most horrendous shouting and screaming.”

“The next thing I knew she was in my house. I was kicked and punched for ten minutes.”

“I managed to get to the phone and dial 999. I couldn’t speak to the operator but they heard the tail end of the assault.” 999 is England’s equivalent of 911.

Bates said Matthew and Bradley are still traumatised by the incident.

She said: “They are not used to seeing violence. Their parents don’t even shout at them, they will sit down and talk. So it was very distressing for them.”

“Bradley still can’t be left on his own.”

Bolton admitted assault by beating and causing $729 of damage to a wooden side gate, a speaker and an internal door.

She was handed a four-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Southend Magistrates’ Court.

Bolton was also told to pay $1,600 compensation.

Magistrates said the incident was a “sustained assault” and the forced entry showed “pre-meditation.”

In mitigation, Bolton, a self-employed cleaner, argued that she had poor mental health and was provoked by the child’s use of the water pistol.

Speaking after the hearing, she said Bates was the problem neighbor and a “green-eyed monster.”

She said: “I have nice cars and I have spent a lot of money on my house. She just wants her pound of flesh.”

“At the end of the day I was in her house and I pleaded guilty. All she sustained were some bruises.”

Bolton said the bad blood started because of an argument over Bates’ guttering and denied that her cameras point into the garden.

She said Bates’ own CCTV cameras point into her garden. “The water being squirted over the fence was the final straw,” she said.

Bolton added that her Great Dane only damaged the fence because it was “provoked” by Bates’ dog.

Bates said her cameras do not point into Bolton’s garden, only onto the boundary between the houses. Both women accused the other of antisocial behavior and both denied it.