Neighbours' dispute over loud music escalated into disorder

Preston Crown Court heard how on February 24, 2022, Glen Gloriani returned home at around 8pm and as he sat down for tea with his wife, he heard loud music coming from a neighbouring property.

Eleanor Gleeson, prosecuting, told the court similar loud music had been heard the previous nights, being played until 10.30pm.

After hearing a banging sound, Mr Gloriani headed outside to see the first defendant, Tony Kimmance, knocking on the door of his neighbour’s house.

Marcel Grigoras (Image: Lancs Police)

She said: “The other defendant, Marcel Grigoras, then answered the door, and Kimmance asked him to turn the music down.

“Mr Gloriani also told Grigoras his music was too loud, but Grigoras just said ‘what’s the problem?’.”

Ms Gleeson said at that point Grigoras went back into his house and grabbed a vegetable knife from the kitchen and headed back to the front door, with the blade pointed down.

She said: “He did not threaten the two men with the weapon, but Kimmance backed off feeling vulnerable and at that point Grigoras walked onto the street, and Mr Gloriani shouted to his wife to call the police.

“Grigoras said, ‘why can’t I play my music? Why did you knock on my door?'."

The court heard Kimmance then retreated to his property but fearing for his neighbour, returned with a gun, believed to be a blank firing pistol.

Tony Kimmance (Image: Lancs Police)

Ms Gleeson went on: “Grigoras walked towards Kimmance and as he got close, Kimmace fired two shots into the air and told him to back up, but Grigoras, still with the knife in his hand, shouted back, ‘I am Romanian’.”

Mr Gloriani told Grigoras, 34, to put the knife away, before his wife came onto the street and told both Grigoras and Kimmance to go back into their own homes.

The police arrived shortly after and said they could smell alcohol on Grigoras. He told the officers that Kimmance, 37, had held a gun to his head.

Kimmance told officers he went to ask his neighbour to turn the music down and that in doing so, Grigoras had got a knife and threatened him with it. He admitted to getting a BB gun to scare him.

Both defendants were arrested and officers seized two knives from Grigoras’ property.

When searching Kimmance’s house they found two pepper sprays, some live rounds, and a taser torch.

Kimmance also led them to where he had hidden a knife, behind a wheelie bin in his backyard.

Grigoras, formerly of Brook Street but now of Highfield Road, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to a public order offence and possession of a bladed article.

He has two convictions for four offences, but is currently subject to extradition proceedings and was remanded into custody in order for the Home Office to monitor what happened with these charges.

Mitigating for Grigoras, Sara McGill said her client was “living in limbo as the probation service can’t make any recommendation, as they don’t know if they will be able to monitor him should he be released from prison”.

She said: “He was working in a factory in Clitheroe and is reliable, hard working and wants to get back to work once he’s released.

“He finds himself stuck between the two cases.”

Kimmance, of Brook Street, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to a public order offence and possession of an imitation firearm.

He has eight convictions for 11 offences.

Sentencing, Judge Guy Mathieson said: “You were acting entirely anti-socially by playing your music so loud it’s caused difficulties for your neighbours who came to speak to you sensibly and reasonably.

“Whether it’s because you had a drink doesn’t really matter, instead of apologising, you chose to arm yourself with a kitchen knife and while holding a knife, challenged them for having the cheek to ask you to turn your music down.

“What followed was some serious disorder, but your co-defendant has vastly over-reacted.”

Grigoras was jailed for 18 months and will be on licence for 12 months upon his release.

Kimmance was jailed for 20 months.