Two noisy neighbours from Brighton silenced in court

Two Brighton men played music so loud that it shook their neighbour’s bed, a court was told.

Officials from Brighton and Hove City Council seized TVs and music equipment from the property at St Martin’s Court in St Martin’s Street, Brighton.

They took the noise-making equipment after the two tenants ignored warnings and noise abatement notices.

At Brighton Magistrates’ Court last week (Thursday 1 November) Michael Graham, 31, and Carl Daly, 21, were convicted of breaching a noise abatement notice.

They were each fined £500 and ordered to pay £600 costs.

Len Batten, prosecuting on behalf of the council, said that Graham and Daly’s neighbour had endured weekday nights of music and raised voices until 3am.

The noise was so loud that she couldn’t hear her television even when it was on maximum volume and the heavy bass coming from her neighbours made her bed vibrate.

She tried to contact her neighbours directly but sometimes the noise was so loud they couldn’t hear her knocking at their door.

On one occasion when she asked for the music to be turned down as it was her birthday the pair became abusive.

When complaints to her letting agent failed to solve the problem, the neighbour called the council’s noise patrol.

Officers visited the flats to assess the noise and sent warning letters and abatement notices.

When the problem continued, they obtained a warrant to seize all noise-making equipment including an iPod, televisions, a DVD player, speakers and digital TV receivers.

Magistrates ordered that all these items should be forfeited.

There have been no noise incidents since the equipment was seized.

Councillor Ben Duncan, the council’s cabinet member for communities, equalities and public protection, said: “Graham and Daly have clearly subjected their neighbour to unacceptable levels of noise which has seriously affected her quality of life.

“We are pleased that our officers have been able to work with the victims to gather the evidence and to bring the matter before the courts.

“Everyone is entitled to peace and quiet in their homes and this council will not hesitate to take action against persistent noisy neighbours.”