A NEIGHBOUR dispute spanning 12 years resulted in an elderly man appearing before magistrates charged with criminal damage.

 

Seventy-year-old William John Robert Bowen, of Wiston, admitted smashing six windows of his neighbour’s VW Transporter at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday (March 21).

 

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard Jones said there had been issues between Bowen and his neighbours Mr and Mrs Baylis, also pensioners, for some time and both parties had accused each other of harassment.

 

“This incident occurred on March 6 this year at about 7.30pm. The complaint say they heard their neighbour shouting and ranting outside his property.

 

“Then they heard breaking glass and the saw him hitting the car,” said Mr Pritchard Jones.

 

Police were called and Bowen admitted smashing the windows.

 

Mr Pritchard Jones read victim impact statements from both Mr And Mrs Baylis, as part of an application for a restraining order.

 

Mrs Baylis said she had been severely affected by the incident and it had exacerbated her already serious mental health conditions.

 

“Since this incident I feel like a nervous wreck. It has been 12 years of escalating verbal abuse. I’m terrified it could be repeated, I have been frightened of him for a long time. It worries me that he might try to hurt me,” added her statement.

 

Mr Baylis said the incident had left his wife frightened to be home alone and although Bowen had previously been verbally abusive “smashing windows of our vehicle was taking things too far”.

 

Defence solicitor Katy Hanson said Bowen suffered from PTSD following service as a rifleman infantry specialist.

 

She reminded magistrates that he was not charged with any other offences despite reference being made to previous incidents and it was not accepted that these had taken place.

 

“He likes to keep himself to himself, he lives on his property and breeds dogs. This apparently causes a lot of tension between him and his neighbour. He doesn’t have difficulties with any other neighbours only Mr Baylis,” she said.

 

Ms Hanson added than Bowen maintains he feels threatened by Mr Baylis and there was always going to be matters on both sides, “it’s six of one, half a dozen of another”.

 

Bowen also has a number of serious health conditions the court heard including issues with stress, short term memory loss, diabetes, mini strokes and mobility problems.

 

She asked that he be given a conditional discharge as a less “draconian” alternative than a restraining order, which she argued would be unworkable given shared access to the properties.

 

Magistrates imposed a two year conditional discharge and reminded Bowen if he was to be charged again in this period he would also be punished for this offence.

 

Bowen also had to pay compensation of £100, court costs of £85 and victim surcharge of £20.