Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
David Powell & Tom Haynes

Man accused of harassment says he cut a hole in neighbour's hedge to 'improve his view'

A man sliced a hole in his neighbour's hedge to get a better view of the surrounding mountains, a court has heard.

As part of a targeted campaign of harassment, Alexander Edwards also shone a torch into his neighbour's CTV camera, sang rap music, and goaded dogs into barking late at night.

There was no CCTV footage of Edwards cutting the hole in Ian Cox's hedge, but Llandudno Magistrates' Court heard that the hole appeared in 2020.

The culprit later admitted to making it "so he could see the view of the mountains from his bedroom window", WalesOnline reports.

CCVT footage of Edwards shining a light in the camera was shown to the court and the culprit was also found to have provoked dogs to bark as late as 1am.

In another incident, Edwards would sing rap music lyrics at Mr Cox.

These included the line "I'm f****** gonna kill yer," said the prosecutor.

Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here

Alexander Edwards shone a torch into his neighbour's CTV camera, sang rap music, and goaded dogs into barking late at night (Reach plc)

Mr Cox, of Pengarth, Conwy, complained to Conwy council and North Wales Police and on Wednesday Edwards admitted harassing the victim.

A judge at Llandudno Magistrates Court ordered him to do 80 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard it was Edwards' mother, Jane, had already started a row with her next-door neighbour Mr Cox when Edwards came to live with her and Edwards became "embroiled" in that row.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson said that Mr Cox reported issues with Mrs Edwards to Conwy Council as long ago as 2014.

He was helped by an anti-social behaviour officer and was advised to keep a log. Mr Cox also installed a CCTV camera.

The case centred on a series of incidents between July 2021 and January this year which amounted to harassment.

The prosecutor said someone, later found to be the defendant, cut the hole, several feet square, in Mr Cox's hedge without permission on July 5.

Then Edwards stuck up his middle finger towards Mr Cox in their street on August 2.

He did the same to Mr Cox in his van then ran after him causing alarm on January 4.

He spat at Mr Cox's van window later that day.

In a victim statement, Mr Cox said the incidents mean he cannot use his garden and he is reluctant to walk on their estate.

The prosecutor said: "He just wants to be left alone to live a normal life."

Defending lawyer Graham Parry said Edwards had had a view down the valley until the hedge grew "out of control".

He said the defendant was allowed to cut the hedge, albeit on his own side.

The District Judge Gwyn Jones told Edwards in the dock: "For whatever reason, you got embroiled in a dispute which is not of your making.

"Whatever the rights and wrongs of this matter, you conducted a series of little acts which caused harassment to your neighbour.

"It was anti-social behaviour."

The District Judge noted that Edwards had never "troubled the courts" before but he added: "I'm satisfied that this offence is serious enough to justify a community order."

As well as imposing the 12-month community order to do the unpaid work, the District Judge made a four-year restraining order prohibiting the defendant from contacting or approaching Ian Cox directly or indirectly.

It also bans him from entering the curtilage of any property occupied by Mr Cox.

The defendant must also pay £85 costs and a £95 surcharge.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.