Neighbor Trespassing to landscape shrubs on my side of the fence.?

I was trimming a series of hedges to the desired height while still maintaining privacy, when my neighbor approached me and asked me if he could show me how it should look, Which I replied sure as long as you only trim the hedge on your side of the fence. I stated that I did not want him to cut my side four times because he was very adamant about me allowing him over. A day later I left for work and came home to find that he butchered the shrubs to below chest level cutting major old growth, and left a pile on my lawn, all large branches from the laurel shrubs on my side of the fence. It turns while I was at work He came over and asked my wife If he could prune the bush "The way it needed to be done." I have been established here for 5 years and just recently married, (1year 1month) My mother is a co-signer on the place, which I think makes her part owner. The problem is I have had a history of problems with my neighbor, he use to walk around my house to the gate on the far side and enter my fenced in back yard I caught him on more than one occasion and once broke a wood fixture while in my back yard uninvited. He has told me he got out on a medical discharge from the military years ago and my guess is for mental reasons, he is always home and single and is not retired. He is in his late 50's and I am a veteran 30 years old. I have never reported him to the police and now I am wondering if it has been a mistake. He gives me an strange feeling just being near him. I have a wife and 5 year old daughter that sun-tan and lounge in the back yard and wonder if that was his motive to destroy the privacy shrubs to below chest height when it was 8ft tall. I talked to him and scolded him for his actions but and not sure what legal course I can take if any since he went behind my back to my wife to get a conflicting answer about the shrubs. The shrubs should grow back in time but privacy for the next two years if not more is shot and I cant help but wonder what is next with this individual.