Grumpy neighbour, 84, took offence over fence
A PENSIONER has been fined for sabotage raids on next-door’s garden fence in a bitter boundary battle with his neighbour.
Grumpy retired builder Kevin Lawrence, 84, was caught on camera attacking the brick pillars of Carole Buckley’s fence with a chisel, hammer and drill, claiming they encroached on his land.
During one raid he snuck out at 1.45am in pyjamas to check some of his handiwork – only to be caught.
Stress
Miss Buckley, who is in her 50s, had installed Ring security cameras to catch the vandal, a court heard.
Lawrence was convicted of criminal damage and ordered to pay £900 in compensation by Crewe magistrates.
Miss Buckley lived next door to Lawrence in Bollington, Cheshire, for nearly 14 years. But she said he caused her so much stress she had to take time off work and lost half a stone in weight, the court was told.
Magistrate chairman Fraser Geekie told Lawrence: “We do not accept your testimony which we found inconsistent and largely unbelievable. Criminal damage may be a minor offence, but we recognise how much grief this caused Carole Buckley.”
Magistrates were shown Land Registry evidence that Miss Buckley’s fence and brick pillars were entirely within the confines of her property.
They were told Lawrence admitted to police he drilled into the pillar and inserted lollipop sticks dipped in glue for the purpose of “strengthening” it.
The court heard Lawrence started “intimidating and bullying” Miss Buckley when her partner moved out in 2021. Relations between them worsened further when she erected the fence on her property to enclose her backyard. She told the hearing: “I have found his behaviour towards me since my partner left to be intimidating and bullying.
“I have always known there have been issues with other neighbours but he had never bothered me at all until I was having building work done.
“I had fencing around my property which had concrete posts which were not straight so I needed to replace them. Considering the original fence was falling on to his property I thought I was doing the right thing.” Miss Buckley installed cameras last August and soon afterwards they sent her alerts revealing Lawrence’s sabotage campaign. Clips showed him using an electric drill on the pillar and cutting away at the rendering. Miss Buckley said: “I am not the type of person that can just go and challenge anybody.
“I thought the best way to stop it was to get evidence and seek help from police. But the moment the camera went up, my phone was going off. I have felt like a prisoner. I am still not using the back entrance in case I come across Mr Lawrence.”
He was also fined £100 with £40 costs.