Case study: Resident still waiting for repair cash

Aberdeen resident Michelle Gavin has had 18 months of frustration as she waits for compensation from an intruder who broke her fence.

She was due to start receiving money towards the £400 bill to fix the fence at her home in the city’s Cattofield Gardens in June last year, but said she had still not received “a penny”.

“It happened on April 8, 2016, at approximately 3.30pm. I heard a noise outside in my neighbours’ drive,” said Ms Gavin.

“I went upstairs and there’s a guy coming over my fence and wall. This guy wasn’t even being chased by the police but he had seen a police car going past and he took to his heels. I was told he would appear in court within six months. He appeared in court in June last year and he got a fixed penalty of £400, to be paid at £5 per week.

“He should have been repaying by June and this is now November 2017 and I’ve never received a penny.”

She added: “He has been hauled back and forth to court. It’s an ongoing cycle. My fence is still broken, I don’t have the money to pay for it.

“Personally, I don’t care who pays for my fence, I just want my fence fixed.”

Photograph by Kami Thomson STILL BROKEN: Michelle Gavin’s fence.