A 76-year-old man has admitted using motor oil and detergent to kill his neighbour's fish and destroy a water pump, driven by "sheer frustration and lack of sleep" over the noise.
Gerry Duffy, of Hadley Road, Barnet, north London, pleaded guilty at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Tuesday to damaging the pond, fish, water pump and pipes in March. He had previously warned his neighbour, Andreas Ptohides, that he would take matters into his own hands if the noise from the fishpond's water pump continued.
Court hears of 'neighbour dispute'
Prosecutor Shahid Iftakhar told the court the dispute had killed "five or six" of Mr Ptohides's Koi carp and caused approximately £565 of damage. CCTV showed Duffy climbing into the neighbour's garden and damaging the water pipes and pumps.
In mitigation, Elliott Stern said his client had tried to resolve the issue without resorting to killing the fish. "The man has been driven completely insane by this noise," Mr Stern said, noting that Duffy had spoken to the neighbour several times, who initially agreed to stop the pump but later changed his mind, saying it was not good for the fish.
Environmental officer's advice
The court heard an environmental officer had advised Duffy to either "move or close his window" due to the noise. Out of frustration and lack of sleep, Duffy acted out of character and committed the damage.
Duffy, who pleaded guilty to three counts of damaging property and one count of unlawfully destroying fish, received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £565 compensation to Mr Ptohides.
