Man Denies Killing Neighbor's Fish in Pond Noise Dispute
A 76-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of damaging property and unlawfully destroying fish after allegedly using detergent and motor oil in a neighbor's pond. The case, heard at Willesden Magistrates' Court, centers on a dispute over noise from a garden pond in Barnet, north London.
Allegations of Escalating Conflict
Prosecutors stated that Gerry Duffy had complained to his neighbor, Andrea Ptohides, about noise from the pond, which shares a fence with Duffy's property. Duffy allegedly told Ptohides the noise was causing sleep loss and had threatened to take matters into his own hands if nothing was done.
The first incident occurred on March 20, when Duffy is accused of throwing motor oil from his window into the pond. Four days later, water pipes supplying the pond were found cut. On March 26, Ptohides discovered three carp dead in the pond, with detergent suspected as the cause.
CCTV Evidence Presented in Court
The court heard that CCTV footage from Ptohides' garden showed Duffy climbing the fence into the garden between 2:32 am and 3:08 am on March 26. Duffy, who appeared in court with white hair, spoke only to confirm his personal details and deny the charges.
He faces three counts of damaging property and one count of unlawfully destroying fish. Duffy was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to face trial at Willesden Magistrates' Court on August 4.
