Gerry Duffy, 76, has been given a two-year conditional discharge after admitting to killing his neighbor's fish and damaging property. The court heard that Duffy used motor oil and detergent in an act of "sheer frustration and lack of sleep" caused by a water pump in his neighbor's pond.
Duffy pleaded guilty to three counts of damaging property and one count of unlawfully destroying fish in March at Willesden Magistrates' Court. He was ordered to pay £565 in compensation to his neighbor, Andreas Ptohides. The prosecution stated that the neighbor dispute potentially caused £565 of damage.
According to the prosecution, Duffy had previously warned Ptohides about the noise, saying "if you didn't deal with it, I would." CCTV footage showed Duffy climbing into Ptohides' garden and damaging the water pipes and pumps. Elias Stern, representing Duffy in mitigation, told the court that his client had attempted to resolve the issue through communication before resorting to the destructive act.
"The man has been driven completely insane by this noise, he's spoken to the complainant several times," Stern said. He added that initial assurances that the water pump would be turned off were later retracted, with the neighbor stating it was necessary for the fish. An environmental officer had previously advised Duffy to either move or close his window to mitigate the noise. Stern described Duffy's actions as out of character, stemming from a loss of control due to persistent noise and sleep deprivation.