From hell claimed family set off POLICE SIRENS in house
A NIGHTMARE neighbour tried to get a family of eight broken up by social workers after he wrongly accused them of being ‘too noisy.’
Tabraiz Khan, 38, reported bus driver James Keogh and his wife Jane to social services and falsely alleged the innocent couple were neglecting their six children after he became convinced they were setting off police sirens inside their home.
Investigators acting on Khan’s bogus tip-off attended the Keoghs’ home in Heaton Norris, Stockport, and quizzed the horrified couple before establishing they had done nothing wrong.
But during his two-year hate campaign against the Keoghs, Khan, who lived with his parents two doors away, continually berated the couple about noise – even confronting them on their doorstep at 8.30am on Christmas Day as the children – three of whom have autism or learning difficulties – were opening presents.
He also threatened the family when he claimed one of the children had been making rude gestures at him.
The victims, who have been married for 15 years and lived at their property for a decade, said they suffered severe distress due to the social services investigation.
Enquiries were carried out into Khan’s claims about noise against the Keoghs but it emerged the sounds of ‘sirens’ he referred to, plus other noises, in fact came from outside in the ‘very busy’ road.
In a statement Mrs Keogh told police: “This has made us feel intimidated. I feel like he’s watching me and my family. The children began to avoid walking past his house and they took a different route to avoid any further issues.
“They tried to not even play out in the garden for fear of further issues caused. We did consider moving house but we couldn’t afford it at the time and we wanted the family to lead a normal life.”
At Stockport magistrates court, Khan, who claims to be ‘hyper-sensitive’ to noise, admitted three public order offences between 2017 and January this year and was banned from contacting the Keoghs for a year under the terms of a restraining order. He has since moved out of the area.
Prosecutor David Morgan said: “There does appear to have been some resolution and Mr Khan does now live away – although his parents remain at the address.”
Anna Chestnut, defending, said: “Mr Khan has autistic spectrum disorder. This was accepted by the police at an early stage and he had an appropriate adult in the interview.
“The complaints Mr Khan had against neighbours arose out of the genuinely held belief the noises where being made from their address including siren noises, either at the front or back garden.
“He has hyper sensitivity to noise and struggles immensely to deal and cope with the level of noise. This wasn’t a desire to harm the Keogh family or cause them any distress. Although he accepts unfortunate consequence of his behaviour.”
She added: “The Keoghs are no longer being bothered and that is a very positive update. It’s a highly unusual case, he was referred to a panel who deal with mentally vulnerable offenders and there was careful thought given to whether criminal charges should have even been brought.”
Sentencing, chairman of the bench Caroline Turner also conditionally discharged Khan for a year and ordered him to pay £105 in court costs.