Kate Vovro (pictured) retreated to an upstairs bedroom and filmed her neighbours from the window during the alleged altercation. She has denied 'setting the whole thing up'

A couple abused their transgender neighbour by calling her 'a fairy' and a 'gutless freak' in a bitter tree-felling row, a court has heard.

Robert and Amanda Marshall, 49 and 44, allegedly flew into a rage in August last year after discovering Kate Vovro had trimmed eucalyptus trees that overhung into her back garden in Verwood, Dorset.

The couple are said to have hurled lopped branches and debris back into Miss Vovro's garden, landing in her outdoor swimming pool.

Mr Marshall, 49, is also alleged to have repeatedly kicked the wooden fence that borders their £400,000 suburban properties.

During the row Miss Vovro, whose legal name is Paul Hockey, retreated to an upstairs bedroom and filmed her neighbours from the window.

In the footage shown to magistrates in Poole on Friday, the Marshalls can be heard calling their 51-year-old neighbour a 'gutless freak'.

Giving evidence, Miss Vovro, who runs a mobile sandblasting business, said: 'Calling me a gutless freak makes me feel insulted.

'Why am I a freak? Because I dress as a woman?

'Lots of men would like to do what I do but they don't have the guts so I fail to see how I can be called that.

'I felt scared and locked myself upstairs in my bedroom while filming them.

'They were shouting and hollering at me and to my mind calling me a fairy was transphobic.'

Amanda Marshall, 44, (right) denied a charge of causing her neighbour harassment, alarm or distress on Friday. Robert Marshall (left) pleaded not guilty to the same charge and one of causing criminal damage to a fence panel

The row began over Miss Vovro's decision to trip eucalyptus trees that overhung into her back garden in Verwood, Dorset. Pictured left is Miss Vovro's home, and right the Marshall's home

The unseemly incident was witnessed by a couple who had been staying at the address as Miss Vovro rents her spare room out on Airbnb.

The guests left in the aftermath and were given a full refund by Miss Vovro.

The Marshalls denied being transphobic and accused Miss Vovro of trying to 'set up' the incident that happened in August 2018.

The court heard they had accused Miss Vovro of previously trying to poison the eucalyptus trees.

The unseemly incident was witnessed by a couple who had been staying at the address as Ms Vovro rents her spare room out on Airbnb (pictured left, the Marshall's home, and right, Ms Vovro's home)

Giving evidence in court, Miss Vovro, who runs a mobile sandblasting business, said that being called a 'gutless freak' made her fell insulted (The Marshall's home is pictured right, and Miss Vovro's is pictured in the background)

Jonathan Morrissey, defending, put it to the complainant: 'This entire case is nothing to do with you being dressed as a woman.

'This is about you exercising your rights and doing what you want, when you want and nobody is going to contradict you.

'I would put it to you that you knew exactly what you were doing because you set this whole thing up.'

Miss Vovro denied this.

Mrs Marshall, 44, denies a charge of causing her neighbour harassment, alarm or distress.

Mr Marshall has pleaded not guilty to the same charge and one of causing criminal damage to a fence panel.

Their trial was adjourned and will resume on October 30.