Architect blocked drive 100 times to anger neighbour
IT’s the sort of niggling habit that can irritate neighbours – blocking a shared driveway.
But architect David Comerford, 46, took it to extremes, making his neighbour’s life a ‘misery’ by parking his Range Rover in the way more than 100 times.
Comerford has now been convicted of harassment after a court ruled that his actions were deliberate. He repeatedly left the luxury 4x4 outside the gates to entrepreneur Mark Charnock’s £1million home after a row over right of way on their shared private drive, a court heard.
Comerford accused his Porsche- driving neighbour of carrying out a ‘vendetta’ and claimed he had only needed to knock on his door and ask him to move the vehicle.
But a magistrate branded him ‘evasive’ and accepted the evidence of company director Mr Charnock, who had recorded the vehicle in the way more than 100 times. Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard the neighbours initially had an ‘amicable’ relationship after Comerford moved into his £500,000 ‘forever home’ in upmarket Worsley, near Manchester. They would even invite one another around for drinks.
However, things turned sour in 2017 when Comerford began having major building work done, with vans clogging up the drive that also leads to Mr Charnock’s property. He continued parking his black Range Rover in the way despite repeated pleas from Mr Charnock, the court was told.
City analyst Mr Charnock said when it first happened he told Comerford ‘it would be helpful if he parked at the side’. But the same thing happened days later and when he protested Comerford said he felt like ‘ knocking my block off’ and ‘punching my face in’.
Mr Charnock said: ‘It was intimidating behaviour. You’d expect with neighbours that you just have to rub along.’
He told the court that on one occasion when he was filming the obstruction Comerford shouted: ‘Are you having fun, you little t**t? Why are you taking pictures of my car? Are
‘Intimidating behaviour’
you jealous or something?’ Mr Charnock said he suffered health problems blamed on stress during a year and a half of repeated obstruction.
‘ He simply doesn’t back down,’ Mr Charnock added. ‘He wants to make my life difficult and to make my life a misery – and he did.’
However, Comerford told the court he was unaware that he was causing a problem until police called round at the start of 2018, claiming: ‘It was a major shock.’
He accused Mr Charnock of being ‘aggressive’ and ‘hostile’ and insisted there was nowhere else for him to park.
Magistrate Joe Bangudu said his testimony had been ‘evasive’ and ‘not credible’.
Comerford will be sentenced next month.