A NIGHTMARE neighbour breached his Asbo by playing a harmonica loudly in his garden – after keeping his neighbours awake all night.
Richard Gant, of Sunnymead, Scissett, prevented his neighbours from sleeping during the small hours of May 11 by shouting in his garden, Kirklees Magistrates were told yesterday.
The court heard Gant, who was jailed last year for repeated Asbo breaches, went back inside his house and began singing loudly.
At around 7.15am, Kirklees Magistrates were told, Gant re-emerged from his house and began shouting and loudly playing a harmonica in his garden.
The court heard Gant, who has since sold his house, shouted: “This is my estate. I’m not leaving.”
Prosecutor Alex Bozman said Gant, 51, had seemed drunk and continued to be aggressive and abusive when officers were again called to his address.
In mitigation, the court heard the Asbo had expired and Gant had since left the estate. Gant’s solicitor Jonathan Slawinksi said his client admitted the breach at the first opportunity.
Kirklees Magistrates sentenced Gant to a 12-month community order with 200 hours unpaid work. Gant was ordered to pay £145 costs and victim surcharge.
Sentencing bench chairman Kashmir Khangura said: “You are in regular work and the house is sold so you have no need to go there and the Asbo has expired.
“Breaching an Asbo is a very serious offence.”
But Mr Khangura added: “We don’t think custody is appropriate for this.”
In 2010, Gant was Tasered by police officers while carrying an imitation gun outside his house.
The following year he was given a two-year Asbo for playing loud music, banging on walls and shouting abuse at his neighbours through a wall linking the semi-detached houses.
In March 2012, Gant was handed a suspended prison sentence for threatening to kill a neighbour and burn her out of her home.
But in December last year, magistrates jailed him for 16 weeks for further Asbo breaches.
