The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A 53-year-old man has been warned that he needs ‘to be very careful’ following a court appearance for causing alarm, harassment and distress to a neighbouring family.
David Austen Woolfson of The Tilney, Whaplode had admitted using threatening behaviour with intent to cause Martyn Rice harassment, alarm or distress when he appeared before magistrates in Boston.
Prosecuting, Jim Clare said it was a neighbourhood dispute involving Woolfson and a family of a father and his son and daughter, who had lived in their house opposite him since 1993.
He said Woolfson had moved in and there had been a number of issues which developed and resulted in shouting and expletives by Woolfson towards the father.
Mr Clare said the family kept a diary of the various incidents and installed CCTV cameras.
He said that on October 11 last year, Woolfson shouted at the son, Martyn Rice, who had been out and was unloading shopping from his car, saying “I’ll stick a knife through you” before twice swearing at him and calling him a “little hillbilly.”
Mr Clare said Woolfson was ‘having a serious impact on the family” and they were afraid he would become violent so they had installed enhanced security at their home.
Mitigating, Michael Alexander said there were ‘always two sides’ to every story but he accepted he did make threats, but he did not make any attempt to cross the road between them.
He said the problems arose around January last year when stones were thrown against his windows and he himself had complained to the police and CCTV cameras had been installed in his house by his landlady.
Mr Alexander said Woolfson had had sleepless nights and had depression and admitted he got upset and angry but had no intention of carrying out any of the threats.
The magistrates said it was an unfortunate case, aggravated by alcohol, and gave Woolfson a conditional discharge for a year and ordered him to pay £117 in court costs and charges.
“If a similar incident occurs again, you will need to be very careful,” they told him.
