Closure orders issued for two homes in Brighton

Closure orders have been granted to tackle anti-social behaviour at two properties in Brighton.

One of them is in May Road where a man was hurt in a hammer attack last month and earlier in August a shotgun was fired through the window of a flat.

Both incidents are widely believed to have been drug related – and the occupant of the closed home in May Road, Gemma Jackson, 35, was fined in July for having taken cocaine a month before.

She was one of the people who had been living at another property that was closed recently, in Queen’s Park Road, Brighton, after problems with drugs and violence.

The other property ordered to close at a court hearing last Friday (8 September) is in Camelford Street, in Kemp Town, after complaints about anti-social behaviour there.

It was the home of Alexandra Capone, 42, formerly of Worthing where she had a history of criminal and anti-social behaviour.

She turned up at Brighton Magistrates’ Court for the hearing but, the court said, she “was asked to leave by security as she was heavily intoxicated and spitting”.

Capone was jailed less than a year ago for a series of offences including spitting at a nurse and headbutting a man in the street.

District Judge Tessa Szagun granted both closure order applications – made by Brighton and Hove City Council – ordering the properties to shut immediately for three months each.

The two properties are among 13 to have been closed by order of the court in the past year after applications by the council.

Yesterday the council said: “Closure orders have been made on two properties in Brighton as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

“Brighton and Hove City Council successfully applied for the orders at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

“The orders relate to 41 May Road and 21 Camelford Street and are designed to bring relief to neighbours in the vicinity.

“The court was told that in each case there had been serious nuisance or disorder, with intimidating and threatening behaviour towards neighbouring residents, excessive noise at all hours associated with visitors to the properties and concerns about violent offences being committed on or in the vicinity of the premises.

“In the case of 41 May Road concerns were also raised after police were called to serious incidents at the property.

“At 21 Camelford Street there were concerns about serious alcohol-related disorder, with shouting, swearing, loud music and drunken behaviour.

“Problems at 41 May Road were caused by a tenant at the privately owned flat.

“A full closure order has been made which means no one can enter the property for three months, apart from the leaseholders and anyone authorised by the council, which is the freeholder.

“At 21 Camelford Street a partial closure order has been made – the privately owned house is closed for three months to anyone apart from the tenant, the emergency services and anyone authorised by the council’s Community Safety Team.”

Councillor Anne Meadows, chair of the council’s Housing and New Homes Committee, said: “These cases are part of a package of action by Brighton and Hove City Council to tackle anti-social behaviour which can cause misery for people living near by.

“Council staff work closely with the police to respond to problems and a total of 13 closure orders have been made in the last year, including these cases.

“Closures are a last resort, when other efforts to resolve the situation have been unsuccessful.

“But this court action sends out a clear message that we will not hesitate to take this action when needed.”

For information about reporting anti-social behaviour, click here.