A ‘neighbor from hell’ made a man’s life a misery with his campaign of harassment that included threats to burn his house down, and the wind blowing so hard it could be heard through the windows walls.
Edward Riley, 44, was reported to police after subjecting Simon Joynson to months of abusive and disruptive behavior in early 2022.
The father-of-one threatened Mr Joynson on several occasions, saying he would burn his house down, adding: “I’m going to put your bloody head on the floor.”
Landscaper Riley would break the wind and belch loudly through the adjacent wall, he blocked doors and shone torches in his neighbor’s face whenever the pair came face to face.
He accompanied his abusive behavior with the constant sounds of loud music, emanating from the adjoining terraced house in Cheadle, near Stockport, Greater Manchester.
Edward Riley was described as the “proverbial neighbor from hell” during sentencing
In his statement, Mr Joynson said: “I live in constant fear of him burning the house down, I know what he’s capable of. He’s only six feet away from me at all times.
“He’s pushed me over the edge, and no one has the right to harass me like that. He’s hitting and screaming and raving all the time.’
He added: “Eddie always gets away with his bad behavior and does what he says he’s going to do with his words. I can’t go on living like this. It’s too much and my mental health is in the bin.”
At Stockport Magistrates’ Court, Riley was given a 24-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months after admitting harassment.
He must also complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity and pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £128.
Hannah Nicholls, prosecuting, said: “The parties became neighbors when the defendant moved in in June 2021 and there were problems from the start. The period covered by this charge is from 1 December 2021 to April 20, 2022, however, the complainant told me about disruptive behavior prior to that.
“The defendant was out of the building for long periods of time, but whenever he was there, he played loud music continuously and caused a general disturbance, despite being told not to. In one case, when the complainant told him to retract it from the window, the accused took a high-powered torch and shone it in his face.
“In another case, he intentionally blocked the door to the common area of the building they lived in. When the complainant asked him to move the blocking element, he became aggressive and took out his phone and started – him photos
Riley was given a 24-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months after admitting harassment
“When the complainant told him to stop taking pictures, the accused said, come to me. The complainant then went into his kitchen with his other neighbors and burst into tears.”
He continued: “On December 22, when the complainant returned home from work, the couple had another argument while taking some cardboard into the communal bins.
This argument was the result of the accused placing an old mattress near the containers, which according to the complainant could not be placed there for security reasons dictated by the council. In response, the accused said that I will drop something on your head and burn your house down.
“He went back inside and started coughing loudly. The complainant could also hear him belching and farting loudly through the walls.
“The accused then told the complainant to get out of my fucking house or I’ll put your head in the fucking flat. This argument only ended after the neighbors intervened.
‘On April 19, the complainant was returning from work again when she saw that a common door they both used had a sign saying she had been alarmed. He tried to open it and then went around to use the side door to enter the building. When he was inside, he heard something fall and set off the alarms.
‘This led the defendant to accuse the complainant of wanting to enter his property without his knowledge. The accused then returned to his property and made loud noises and screams”.
The court heard Joynson has since moved to another property.
Riley has 19 prior felonies on his record, most of which involve violations of restraining orders against his ex-partner, with whom he had a child.
In mitigation, Riley’s barrister, Helen White, said: “There are always two sides to every story. Certainly the complainant has done some provocation, but the accused accepts that he simply went too far. The his behavior crossed the line.
“The defendant has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and PTSD and was not on medication at the time of the incident. He is now on medication and making improvements with his mental health.
“Thanks to his probation work, he now has regular access to his son, and this has really helped him change his behaviour. There has been no further interference with the complainant since the last incident and he has a low risk of harm”.
Sentencing, JP Walter Barrett told Riley: “You really are the proverbial neighbor from hell. I know you’ve had some problems with your mental health but you have a terrible record. It’s horrible. The reason you don’t “We are sending you to prison because you have been taking your medication and you have started seeing your son again”.
