A noisy neighbour disrupted residents in a Brighton street so badly that one of them took to sleeping in her garden shed in the freezing cold
Neighbours of Coral Perrin endured endless sleepless nights terrorised by loud music, shouting and fighting.
Eventually the noise became so bad that, despite the icy January weather, the shed was the only place that one traumatised neighbour could find some peace and quiet.
However, following intervention by Brighton & Hove City Council’s environmental health officers, Perrin was brought before the courts today, fined £233, ordered to pay £250 costs and £15 victim surcharge. Magistrates also ordered that all noise making equipment seized by officers should be forfeited,
Perrin, 19, of De Montfort Road, Brighton, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to comply with a noise abatement notice.
Mike Tyler, prosecuting on behalf of the council, said that noise enforcement officers received a string of complaints about loud music, shouting, screaming and fighting coming from Perrin’s flat. Some of the complaints came from residents living across the road.
A noise abatement notice was served in February this year. However in March, noise enforcement officers responding to further complaints visited the property and heard music including Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy, Lady Gaga’s Poker Faceand Beyonce’s Single Ladies being played at full volume.
They also witnessed people singing loudly, and badly, to the songs, television noise, talking, screaming and raucous laughter.
The officers spoke to Perrin asking her to turn down the volume. Perrin told them that she was drunk, that she did not care about the effect of the noise and that she could do whatever she wanted on a Friday night. She laughed when officers told her they would take her equipment away.
On March 19, officers returned to the property with police and a warrant and seized all the noise making equipment, During the visit Perrin and her friends were constantly swearing at the officers.
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “We are pleased that our environmental health officers have been able to work with the victims to gather the evidence and to bring the matter before the courts and that the magistrates have shown their support.
“This sends out a clear message that this council is committed to promoting community safety. We will not tolerate noise nuisance of any kind and will not hesitate to track down and prosecute those responsible.”
