A 76-year-old man has admitted killing his neighbour's fish using motor oil and detergent after being driven 'completely insane' by the noise of a pond pump, a court heard. Gerry Duffy pleaded guilty to damaging the pond, fish, water pump and pipes at Willesden Magistrates' Court on the day of his trial.
Neighbour dispute escalates
The incident occurred in Barnet, north London, where Duffy lives in a studio flat backing onto the garden of Andreas Ptohides. The court was told that Duffy had previously complained about the noise and warned his neighbour that he would take matters into his own hands if the issue was not resolved.
Prosecutor Shahid Iftakhar said the dispute resulted in the death of 'five or six' Koi carp and caused approximately £565 of damage. CCTV footage showed Duffy climbing into the neighbour's garden and damaging the water pipes and pumps.
Motivation and sentencing
In mitigation, Elliott Stern said his client had been 'driven completely insane' by the noise, having spoken to the neighbour several times. The neighbour initially agreed to stop the pump but later changed his mind, saying it would harm the fish. An environmental officer reportedly advised Duffy to either move or close his window.
Duffy, a retired builder, was handed a two-year conditional discharge after pleading guilty to three counts of damaging property and one count of unlawfully destroying fish. He was also ordered to pay £565 in compensation to Mr Ptohides.
