Gerry Duffy, 76, of Hadley Road, Barnet, North London, has admitted to using motor oil and detergent to kill his neighbour's fish and destroy a water pump, driven by "sheer frustration and lack of sleep," as heard in court.
Guilty plea in court
On Tuesday at Willesden Magistrates' Court, Duffy pleaded guilty on the day of his trial to charges of damaging the pond, fish, water pump, and pipes in March. The incident followed a long-running dispute with his neighbour, Andreas Ptohides, over the noise from the water pump running the fishpond.
Prosecutor Shahid Iftakhar told the court that the "neighbour dispute" resulted in the death of "five or six" of Mr Ptohides's Koi carp and caused approximately £565 in damage. Iftakhar highlighted that Duffy had previously warned the complainant, saying, "if you didn't deal with it, I would," indicating a clear threat before the incident.
CCTV evidence and mitigation
The prosecution presented CCTV footage showing Duffy "climbed into the complainant's garden and damaged the water pipes and pumps." In mitigation, defence solicitor Elliott Stern argued that his client had attempted to resolve the dispute peacefully. Stern said, "The man has been driven completely insane by this noise, he's spoken to the complainant several times. They initially said they would stop the water pump going but then turned around and said that's not good for the fish."
The court heard that an environmental officer had advised Duffy to either "move or close his window" to escape the noise. Stern added, "Out of sheer frustration and lack of sleep, Mr Duffy, out of character, I would say, lost his mind and committed various damages."
Sentencing pending
Duffy is scheduled to be sentenced later on Tuesday morning. The case highlights the severe impact that persistent noise can have on individuals, sometimes leading to extreme actions.
