A MAN threatened his neighbour by saying he would be part of the Hereford bypass during a barrage of text messages following noise complaints.

 

Lee Benbow, 32, of Hunderton Road, Hereford pleaded guilty to sending numerous threatening text messages to Tony Ingram.

 

Amy Davies, prosecuting at Herefordshire Magistrates Court, said Benbow and his neighbour, Mr Ingram, were both housed by Westmoreland Supported Housing Association next door to each other.

 

She said Benbow sent numerous text messages to Mr Ingram's mobile phone on April 23 between 7.15pm and 8.55pm.

 

The messages said that Mr Ingram needed to leave his home before the debt agency moves in.

 

He started calling him names and told him to go and kill himself.

 

One message said: "Unless you want to be part of Hereford bypass I suggest you and your family move away or you will all be part of the road."

 

Emma Prosser, defending, said Benbow had significant learning difficulties and had lived in the street for nearly four years.

 

She said Mr Ingram moved there recently and within days of his arrival problems started with constant noise abuse.

 

She said there has been numerous complaints from residents about Mr Ingram and he had been given an eviction notice on April 2.

 

Miss Prosser said Benbow had become increasingly frustrated when Mr Ingram hadn't moved away. She said he just wanted to go back to living on a quiet street.

 

Miss Davies said she did not accept the derogatory assertions made by the defence about the victim and added: "This was exceptional abuse over a prolonged period of two hours."

 

However, magistrates gave Benbow a conditional discharge for two years and ordered him to pay £185 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.