A council tenant has been given a suspended prison sentence after causing months of noise, nuisance and anti-social behaviour from lockdown parties at his home in Mansfield Woodhouse.
Nigel Leggett, of Park Avenue, appeared before Derby County Court on 30 April 2021 for being in breach of an injunction granted to the council after it received numerous complaints about noise nuisance and loud parties at his home.
He admitted all the breaches of the injunction and was found in Contempt of Court and sentenced to an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for the remaining term of the injunction until 29 September 2021.
The council was granted an interim injunction at Mansfield County Court on 29 September 2020 preventing Nigel Leggett from engaging in or encouraging conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance, including the playing of loud music. On 16 November 2020, the injunction was extended to a full order, lasting until 29 September 2021.
Derby County Court, on 30 April, heard that the full injunction had been granted following incidents of nuisance behaviour, including loud music, singing, shouting, swearing, stomping and violence, were recorded and evidenced by a neighbour. On one occasion, the police attended when an altercation broke out at one of Nigel Leggett’s parties.
The Judge was advised that there had been a total of 118 evidenced recordings since the interim injunction was granted on the 29 September 2020 and there would have been a lot more incidents recorded if the neighbour, an ex-serviceman, had not felt compelled to vacate his own home for lengthy periods to enable him to get peace and respite. The neighbour has since sold his home and left the area, the court heard.
Complaints against Nigel Leggett started in March 2020 regarding loud music and parties, with groups of visitors at all times of day and night, despite the country being in its first National Lockdown due to the Covid pandemic.
The council's Housing Anti-Social Behaviour team issued Nigel Leggett with a Community Protection Warning, Community Protection Notice and Notice of Seeking Possession, giving the tenant ample opportunity to resolve matters before they applied for an injunction order.
Speaking after the case, the council's Head of Housing, Jill Finnesey, said: "We are satisfied with the result of this court case. This tenant caused months and months of misery for his neighbours, one of whom has even felt compelled to sell up and move away.
“Council homes are in such high demand and there is no shortage of people waiting and willing to take the place of a tenant who shows such disrespect towards their own community.
“Anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance are problems that the council takes very seriously and tenants who engage in this type of behaviour are in breach of their tenancy agreement and could face losing their homes as a result. This is, indeed, what could now be facing Nigel Leggett as the council has now begun the eviction process against him.”
To find out more about how to report noise nuisance and using the Noise App to record evidence, find out more on the council website (link opens in new window).