Filmmaker Garnet Mae and movie costumer Grayson Cole in dispute over a back lane that erupted into a terrifying fight with a powersaw

By STEPHEN GIBBS, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 16:24, 26 July 2026 | Updated: 16:24, 26 July 2026 A long-running neighbourhood dispute over a tiny pocket of land has taken another twist, with a homeowner having a major legal win and his rival filming a furious TikTok in response.  Garnet Mae's disagreement with Grayson Cole over who owns parts of a lane running behind four terraces in Sydney's inner-city has cost them tens of thousands of dollars and found them both in court. The feud between film-maker Mae and Cole, who also works in the movie industry, simmered away until tensions exploded into a physical confrontation and a violent tussle over a circular saw. For the past seven years the men have been engaged in conflict over their respective rights to occupy about 11 sq m of laneway at the back of Cole's home on Cleveland Street in Redfern. Cole and his wife Lorraine, who supply vintage clothing for major film and television productions, have lived in their three-storey house since 1987 and for decades treated the land as their own.  Mae doesn't even live on the street – he has a place at McMahons Point on the lower north shore – but since his brother bought a terrace two doors from Cole in 2019 has been visiting the property. He believes the patch of dirt at the rear of Cole's block is communal and has cleared out the space using part of it to store garbage bins, removing greenery planted by his foe. 'It started off fairly civil and then, obviously, deteriorated,' Mae told the Daily Mail in late 2024. Filmaker Garnet Mae has been in a long-running neighbourhood dispute with Grayson Cole over the ownership of a lane which runs behind four terraces in inner-city Sydney's Redfern. Mae is pictured outside court on Monday  Mae's disagreement with Grayson Cole (above) over who owns parts of a lane at the rear of Cole's home has cost them tens of thousands of dollars and found them both in court The feud between filmmaker Mae and Cole simmered away until tensions exploded into a physical confrontation and a violent tussle over a circular saw (above) 'He seemed very rude and almost bullying the whole time, because that is a common laneway.' Mae's first feature film, the 2005 low-budget comedy Australian Pie – also known as Going Down Under – featured comedian and radio host Ed Kavalee in the lead role. Kavalee's character Jono Smith works in a bakery and loses his genitals after placing them in a meat slicer then undergoes a transplant from an adult movie star. Cole, 65, who suffers from sciatica and walks with a cane, calls Mae 'Sideshow Bob', after The Simpsons character with a mop of spiky red hair.  Mae, 53, who describes himself on social media as a film-maker, dancer, musician, artist and creator, says Cole is 'just a c***'. Cole's five-bedroom house, built in 1880, sits on land held under Old System title, rather than as a modern Torrens allotment, and survey anomalies make the lot's official boundaries unclear. Owners of the four properties on the laneway have had a legal right of way through it since 1883, and Mae's brother's title includes a 78cm-wide strip of land that runs most of the length of the lane. Cole claims the portion of lane behind his house as his own through the principle of adverse possession – sometimes known as 'squatter's rights' – having continuously occupied it for almost 40 years.  Mae filmed the showdown and posted the footage (above) on Instagram, where it was picked up by Daily Mail and later A Current Affair 'I just came out here and saw red,' Cole said, standing in the lane on Monday. 'I grabbed him by the front of the shirt and shoved him back' For the past seven years Mae and Cole have been engaged in conflict over their respective rights to occupy about 11 sq m of laneway at the back of Cole's home (above) He told the Daily Mail that until Mae's brother bought into Cleveland Street for $1.8million almost seven years ago, his use of the land had never been challenged. 'There were five other owners before him and we never had an issue with them about us occupying that land,' he said. After Mae cleared plants from the lane, Cole installed temporary steel fencing to block off what he considers his section of the thoroughfare, but Mae took the barrier down.  Cole then put fencing outside his back gate to protect three tree ferns growing in the laneway, which ultimately led to a physical altercation one morning in November 2024. While Cole was at home, Mae removed the wire fencing and began cutting into two of the tree ferns with a circular saw. 'I just came out here and saw red,' Cole said, standing in the lane on Monday.  'I grabbed him by the front of the shirt and shoved him back. 'All I did was push him from one side of the laneway to the other side, getting him further away from cutting the trees down.' Mae's first feature film, the 2005 low-budget comedy Australian Pie - also known as Going Down Under - featured comedian and radio host Ed Kavalee in the lead role  Mae believes the patch of dirt at the rear of Cole's block is communal and has cleared out the space, dragging plants into Cole's backyard (above) Mae filmed the showdown and posted the footage on Instagram, where it was picked up by the Daily Mail and later A Current Affair.  The video showed Cole approach Mae and scream at him, 'I will take your f***in' head off,' before grabbing the circular saw. 'You reckon I can't take your f***in' saw? F*** you. All right. Let's turn the f***in' thing on'. While the pair fought over the power tool, Cole appeared to kick Mae in the groin. Mae: 'Kicked me in the balls, did ya?' Cole: 'F***ing oath mate. And I'll f***ing kick you again.' After Mae cleared plants from the lane, Cole installed temporary steel fencing to block off what he considers his section of the thoroughfare (above) While Cole was at home, Mae removed his fencing and began cutting into two of three tree ferns with a circular saw. Mae is pictured with an angle grinder in the lane Mae repeatedly urged Cole to hit him before he took his phone from a ledge and said, 'OK, that's enough. I got it all on camera. You're going to jail buddy.'  As the clash continued, Cole told Mae he had no right to be on his land and said, 'Get off the f***in' property otherwise I will f***in' do you in, you stupid c***'. Cole was subsequently charged with common assault and applied for an apprehended violence order (AVO) to protect him from Mae, with both matters listed in Downing Centre Local Court.  Mae is already the subject of an AVO sought by police and granted by a judge at Manly Local Court in April to protect his former partner for the next four months. The assault charge against Cole was set to be heard in July but when Judge Jennifer Atkinson asked if the land title issue had been settled, she was told it had not.  Cole's solicitor Michael Bowe said his client and his wife had a better claim over the relevant part of the laneway than anyone, while Mae was only a visitor and had none.  Mr Bowe said Mae had invaded Cole's property on at least nine occasions, which constituted harassment and intimidation, and Cole had been defending himself. Cole's terrace is pictured second from the right, and Mae's brother's house is obscured by a tree two doors to the left. The terraces are across the road from Prince Alfred Park The disputed laneway behind four terraces in Cleveland Street, Redfern, is pictured from Pitt Street looking towards Cole's section, which is at the far end Judge Atkinson described the situation as a 'festering sore' and suggested Cole go to the Supreme Court or the Office of the Registrar General to have the land title issue resolved.  'They've got to live in close proximity,' Judge Atkinson said.  When the case returned to the same court on Monday, Mae shot a TikTok video outside the building before the proposed hearing began.  'Here I am, back at the Downing Centre - one of my favourite places in the world,' Mae said to the camera. 'Not.' 'And we're going to find out today if justice will prevail, if my neighbour, who fancies himself with a saw, will see any jail time. Can't imagine that he will.  'But I imagine if the situation was reversed, and I'd punched him in the head, tried to start a circular saw, cut off his arms and legs, threw him around the back lane, I can't imagine that I'd get off with a slap on the wrist.  'But I think that's probably what's going to happen today for him... This is all over land that he doesn't own. He's just a c***. Anyway, let's find out how he goes.'  Cole came armed with Mr Bowe's 50 years of legal experience and evidence including a consulting surveyor's draft 'delimitation plan' to legally define his property lines.  In the surveyor's opinion, based on 'continued use and general maintenance' of the contested part of the laneway, the land would be 'claimable' by Cole. Cole, who with his wife supplies vintage clothes for film and television productions, is pictured in the lane behind his backyard. The tree ferns to the right have been removed Cole, who suffers from sciatica and walks with a cane, calls Mae 'Sideshow Bob', after the The Simpsons character with a mop of spikey red hair. He is pictured in the back lane on Monday After Mr Bowe discussed the matter with the officer in charge of the investigation and the police prosecutor, the assault charge against Cole was withdrawn.  Mae had been told by the prosecutor that decision was coming and had already left the building to film another TikTok outside the court. 'What a f***ing joke,' he said of what happened.  'Prosecutor didn't even want to run the case. Said he would get off, on defence of property. I'm like, hello?...  'But he said even if we run it and even if he was found guilty, what's going to happen? He's going to get a suspended sentence, probably wouldn't even cop a fine. 'The prosecutor also said that it's looking like he's going to win title of the land.' Cole, who is in the process of formally claiming the disputed land, was relieved at the outcome and grateful for Mr Bowe's help.   Mae and Cole will be back in the Downing Centre when Cole's AVO application is heard next month.