Jail warning for noise nuisance

Council warns 21 year old to think of his neighbours or go to jail!

A 21-year-old Roehampton man has been told that he faces being sent to jail if he continues plaguing his neighbours with late night noise disturbance.

The council has obtained an injunction against Robert Bateson after a county court judge heard evidence that he has repeatedly subjected his neighbours to noisy late night parties, karaoke sessions and other forms of disturbance.

As a result, he is now subject to four prohibitions under the terms of the injunction, and breaching any one of them could lead to him being prosecuted for contempt of court and imprisoned. He was also ordered to pay the council £781 in legal costs.

Mr Bateson, who lives in Greatham Walk on the Alton estate, is now forbidden from:

• Causing a noise or a nuisance which is audible outside his flat, including "singing, shouting, performing music, playing any recorded music or radio or tuner, playing any television. Playing any other device which creates or reproduces sound and making any other noise nuisance." This prohibition also applies to any friends, relatives or guests who visit him at the property.

• Allowing more than five persons (including himself) to enter or remain inside the property between 8.30am and 10.30pm unless he has written permission beforehand from the council's housing department.

• Allowing more than two people (including himself) to enter the property and remain there between the hours of 10.30pm and 8.30am without prior written approval from the town hall.

• Obstructing, loitering in, damaging, defacing or making any noise nuisance in the communal areas of Greatham Walk. He is also forbidden from instructing or encouraging others to do so.

The county court judge heard that Mr Batson had repeatedly ignored warning letters from the housing department and that the initial legal steps had been taken to secure an eviction order against him.
Cabinet member for housing Cllr Martin D Johnson said:

"Mr Bateson must learn to mend his ways and become a good neighbour. If he doesn’t then he could go to jail and lose his home. We will not tolerate people who cause such disturbance to their neighbours. People should not have to put up with it, and we will see to it that they don't have to. Mr Bateson has been given one final chance to improve his behaviour. He is unlikely to get any more chances."

March 17, 2006