Man, 79, sued over ‘abuse’ of rich neighbours’ helicopter guests

A WEALTHY couple worth millions are suing their pensioner neighbour over allegations that he abused visitors who arrived to see them by helicopter during a period of “25 years of harassment”.

Mark Randolph Dyer and his wife, Clare, have accused 79-year-old David Baker of a campaign of harassment, including setting fire to their garden boundary fence in June last year.

The couple obtained an interim injunction banning Mr Baker from piling “combustible or explosive materials” near or against the wooden fence that separates their homes.

Mr Baker “strenuously denies” setting the fence on fire and is fighting the claim, accusing his neighbours of being “utterly unreasonable”.

The Dyers are seeking a permanent injunction against him and have launched an action in the High Court to have him found in contempt of a previous order, which could see him jailed.

The Dyers, both aged 64, moved into their £2.6m home in Albury, Surrey, in 1997. They made 37 planning applications relating to their home and a large field behind their garden which they also own.

Some of them were turned down or withdrawn following objections from neighbours. For example, in 2007 the couple were forced to remove a “permanent helipad” in the field after a local council enforcement notice was issued.

Matthew Haynes, acting for the Dyers, asked Mrs Justice Hill to find that Mr Baker has breached the terms of the interim injunction and is in contempt, saying there is “a video of the fire showing Mrs Dyer having to deal with it”.

“The parties are neighbours. This contempt application is made against a background of 25 years’ harassment by Mr Baker of Mr and Mrs Dyer, ever since they moved into their house in 1997,” he told the court.

“Historical issues have related to the poisoning of dogs and trees, malicious letters and phone calls, abuse to visitors arriving by helicopter [and] rubbish put in the field.”

Lina Mattsson, acting for Mr Baker, told the court that the Dyers’ claims were “false allegations” and that the facts of the matter are still due to be decided at a county court trial.

She asked Mrs Justice Hill to adjourn the contempt hearing until the main county court trial has concluded

Justice Hill agreed to Ms Mattsson’s application and ordered the Dyers to pay the £6,750 costs of the hearing. The Dyers’ lawyers said their own costs for the hearing were around £20,000.

The neighbours will now meet in court for a full trial.

‘Historical issues have related to the poisoning of dogs and trees, malicious letters and phone calls’