A violent confrontation in a Solihull woodland, sparked by a dispute between dog owners, culminated in a man being struck with a chainsaw, a court has been told.
The woodland altercation over dogs
The incident unfolded on the afternoon of May 28 last year in woodland off Gospel Lane, between Acocks Green and Olton. Paul Mills was walking his cocker spaniel off the lead when a Dalmatian, belonging to a man named Stuart, allegedly charged and pinned his dog to the ground.
Mr Mills told Birmingham Crown Court that after the Dalmatian attempted to attack his spaniel for a third time, he "toe-poked" the dog in the side to make it retreat. This action ignited a furious row with Stuart, the Dalmatian's owner, who began shouting at him for kicking the animal.
The chainsaw attack
The situation escalated when Lewis Whitsey, 34, of Gospel Lane, emerged from the trees. Mr Mills claimed Whitsey initially offered to "chop him up with an axe" before retreating and then returning armed with a chainsaw.
Footage from Mr Mills's mobile phone, played in court, showed Whitsey approaching while revving the power tool. "I ducked down to the right. The chainsaw came down and cut out. On my back," Mr Mills stated, confirming the tool was not spinning when it made contact but that the blow left him with a scar.
He described the motion as a downward "chopping" action. A brief scuffle ensued after Mr Mills grabbed the blade, before Whitsey retreated.
Contrasting accounts in court
Lewis Whitsey, who has admitted unlawful wounding and possession of an offensive weapon, gave a different version of events. He told the court he was already holding the chainsaw, having been cutting trees in the area, and intervened after hearing a dog yelp repeatedly.
"I shouldn't have taken a running chainsaw, I'm sorry," Whitsey said. He claimed he only intended to scare Mr Mills, whom he described as a big, aggressive man who smelled of alcohol, and that any contact was accidental during the ensuing struggle.
Whitsey denied deliberately striking Mr Mills or later pursuing him on a motorbike, stating he could not ride due to injured wrists.
Aftermath and pending sentence
Following the hearing on Wednesday, January 14, Judge Dean Kershaw stated he would consider the evidence and pass sentence on Monday, January 19. The trial of issue was held after the Crown Prosecution Service rejected Whitsey's initial basis of plea.
The case highlights a dramatic and dangerous escalation of a common public space dispute, leaving one man injured and another facing a significant custodial sentence.
