January 26, 2016 5.34 pm This story is over 97 months old

Lincoln neighbour slapped with fine for excessive music and rows

Persistent nuisance: A Lincoln man who repeatedly played excessively loud music has been fined.

A Lincoln man who repeatedly played excessively loud music has been fined after causing a persistent nuisance to his neighbours.

Daniel Sanders, 24, of Chesney Road, was ordered to pay a total of £1,147 after he was proved guilty in his absence at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on January 20.

The court heard Sanders had been issued with an Abatement Notice on July 21, 2015 but despite this he continued to disturb and distress neighbours between August 28 and September 4, 2015.

City of Lincoln Council investigated after receiving dozens of complaints from residents of loud music, shouting and screaming coming from Sanders’ property.

A number of recordings were made and the noise was regularly deemed to be at a level considered to be intrusive, unreasonable and prejudicial to health or a nuisance.

Neighbours were exposed to excessively loud music and incidents of loud domestic altercations on a regular basis, often in the early hours of the morning, leaving them unable to relax in their own homes, the court heard.

Magistrates’ took into account a previous conviction for battery and gave Sanders a £770 fine and ordered him to pay costs to the council of £300 and a £77 victims’ surcharge.

Sam Barstow, Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour at the city council, said: “We are pleased with this result from the courts and we are hoping this prosecution will bring some peace and quiet for the complainants in this particular case.

“The council takes noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour seriously and, if warnings are ignored, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.

“From the level of fines awarded it is clear the courts take this kind of behaviour seriously, and do not under-estimate the impact it can have on people’s lives.”

After an initial complaint about loud music on June 8 the council sent Sanders a letter warning him an investigation would take place if there were any further issues.

Between June 8 and July 8 eight further complaints were received. Some of these complaints were about loud music but others concerned excessively loud domestic rows taking place in the early hours of the morning.

Digital sound recording equipment installed in July 2015 recorded noise levels that would constitute statutory noise nuisance – meaning it can cause disturbance, distress and even illness to those affected by it.

In addition, there were three video recordings of an incident that occurred in the early hours of June 21. One of the recordings was of excessively loud music and two were of excessively loud domestic arguments consisting of screaming, shouting and swearing, which spilled out into the street.

Following these incidents and complaints Sanders was served with a Noise Abatement Notice on July 21.

However, following two more incidents in July and August, monitoring equipment recorded 13 separate incidents between August 28 and September 4. Of these, 12 were clear breaches of the Noise Abatement Notice.

Sanders was sent a warning and following a further incident involving police in September court action was taken.