Blackburn man threatened neighbour with hammer in noise dispute (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn man threatened neighbour with hammer in noise dispute

10:20am Friday 22nd March 2013 in News

A 42-YEAR-OLD man armed himself with a lump hammer when he went round to remonstrate with a neighbour about loud music keeping him awake all night.

Blackburn magistrates heard that James Singleton smashed his way into his Polish neighbour’s flat then brandished the hammer, threatening to smash up his sound system if ever there was a repeat performance.

Singleton, who was on prison licence for arson, shouted that he would return and ‘torch’ his neighbour’s flat. Singleton, 42, of Spring Bank Terrace, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to affray and causing £720 worth of damage to a door belonging to Twin valley Homes.

He was jailed for 28 days. The court was told he would also be recalled on his prison licence.

Joanne Close, prosecuting, said Dominic Draag was at home on Sunday afternoon when a neighbour came round to his flat, smashed his way in and threatened him.

“It is fair to say that all the parties had been drinking,” said Mrs Close. “The aggrieved’s girlfriend called the police and when they arrived they found Singleton sitting in an armchair in his own flat.”

Singleton told police he had wanted to scare Mr Draag and that he had drunk two large whiskies before going round.

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said Singleton was a man who had been pushed to the end of his tether.

He said the music had continued until about 6am and Singleton had not been able to sleep.

“He went round during the night and the music was so loud he could actually see the front door reverberating,” said Mr Church-Taylor.

The following day, Singleton bumped into another resident of the block of flats and had discussed the level of the noise and the apparent futility of complaining to Twin Valley.

“He had a couple of whiskies while he was thinking about the situation and then decided to go and speak to his neighbour,” said Mr Church-Taylor.

“He took the hammer to show he would use it to smash up the neighbour’s sound system if the problem persisted. It was all over in seconds.

“This offence is set against a night were he had no sleep because of loud music and against the perceived inactivity of the landlord,” said Mr Church-Taylor. “It is indicative of the nuisance value of people in a block of flats behaving in this fashion.”