Legal News
£7,500 fine for noisy neighbour who breached abatement notices for anti-social behaviour (31 May 2017)
Date: 31/05/2017
A resident of Kettering in Northamptonshire has received a record fine after being prosecuted for anti-social behaviour.
At a court hearing on Tuesday 24 May, Kettering Borough Council successfully prosecuted Rebeka Nakate for breaching a Noise Abatement Notice and a Community Protection Notice within the borough.
Nakate has been ordered to pay £7,500 after noise and anti-social behaviour at the property affected five other households.
She had been served with the notices in September 2016, requiring her to take steps to reduce the impact of noise from parties at her property.
Council officers witnessed six breaches of the notices – and seized the noise making equipment from the property in November 2016.
However, complaints from Nakate’s neighbours continued – and the case was taken to court by the council at the hearing held in Wellingborough on 16 May 2017.
At this hearing, the court granted a Forfeiture Order, allowing the council to keep and destroy the equipment seized from the property.
A Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) was also granted, limiting the number of visitors Nakate can have at the property overnight – and requiring her and her visitors stop causing nuisance to her neighbours.
The Order also requires her to control pet rabbits, which have been left to roam in neighbours gardens – if the Order is breached, the offender can go to jail for up to five years.
The council says this is the twelfth Criminal Behaviour Order issued following action taken since new anti-social behaviour powers were introduced in 2014.
Sentencing of Nakate coincided with Noise Action Week, which this year took place 22-27 May – the campaign raises awareness of noise issues.
After the hearing, Kettering Borough Council’s Head of Public Services, Shirley Plenderleith, said:
“This is a great result to publicise in Noise Action Week – it emphasises the seriousness of selfish behaviour and the fact that noise and anti-social behaviour can have a big impact on all of us.
“The council and its partners will use our legal powers to minimise this impact.“
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