A 21-year-old Haverfordwest woman has been fined for being a noise nuisance. Sharde Kingaby of Market Street, Haverfordwest, was found guilty of breaching a Noise Abatement Notice at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Monday (January 16th) following a prosecution by Pembrokeshire County Council’s public protection division (Photos on Flickr).
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Ms Kingaby was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £500 costs.
Magistrates heard how Ms Kingaby would frequently disturb her neighbours by playing loud music from televisions amplified by amplifiers and loud speakers.
Following complaints, Dyfed Powys Police were called out several times in the early hours of the morning and were frequently met with abuse from Ms Kingaby and party goers.
Police statements to the Court on Monday highlighted that the music could be heard at either end of Market Street and was clearly anti-social at that hour of day.
The public protection division, working in partnership with the police, served an Abatement Notice on Ms Kingaby requiring the noise to be stopped but the noise and parties carried on.
As a result, Council Officers applied for and obtained a Warrant from the Magistrates Court to enter the premises – by force if necessary – to search for and seize all equipment capable of causing the noise.
The Warrant was executed in early December with police assistance, and very large flat screen televisions, amplifiers, speakers and mixing tables were removed from the flat.
Following the seizure a prosecution case was instigated by the Council for the breaches of the Noise Abatement Notice and to apply for the retention/forfeiture of the equipment seized.
The Court heard on Monday how Ms Kingaby appeared to show no remorse for her actions.
Summing up Magistrates commented that neighbours and tenants “should not have to tolerate this kind of obnoxious behaviour.”
As well as imposing a fine and costs, Magistrates also ordered the forfeiture of the equipment seized, the value of which is estimated by Council Officers to be in the region of £600 to £700.
Councillor Ken Rowlands, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services said the Council’s public protection division investigated hundreds of complaints of noise annually and served many Abatement Notices to control noise deemed to be a statutory nuisance if informal approaches failed.
“In the majority of occasions Notices are complied with, however, this case goes to prove that if individuals continue to cause a nuisance and not comply with Abatement Notice warnings, then the Council will pursue the matter,” he said.
“It is regrettable that officers have had to go to such lengths to illustrate that although we have rights and freedoms, we also have a responsibility to ensure that we do not impose on the freedom of others.”
Photos on Flickr
Councillor Ken Rowlands is pictured with some of the confiscated equipment. Also shown are John Murphy and Steve Morbey of the public protection division.
