Elderly residents 'lived in fear of neighbour'

Michael Andrew Miles’ bizarre behaviour caused his immediate neighbours in Giles Close, off Gloucester Road, Newbury, to erect a £400 fence, the court was told.
Helen Waite, prosecuting, said matters finally came to a head when the 49-year-old went completely berserk, hurling wine bottles and furniture while terrified residents cowered.
She said a “neighbourhood dispute” between Mr Miles and local pensioners was at the heart of the case, adding: “There were a number of issues - mostly anti social behaviour, loud parties, drinking and littering people’s gardens.”
His victims felt “harassed and intimidated in their own homes,” magistrates were told.
In a victim impact statement, one couple said Mr Miles’ behaviour had had a “huge impact” on the lives of themselves and other elderly residents and that they were frightened to go into their own back garden.
Ms Waite said: “One couple spent £400 erecting a taller fence - but the impact was emotional rather than financial.”
Then on September 26, the court heard, police were called when Mr Miles had an apparent breakdown.
Ms Waite said: “His neighbours found more litter such as wine bottles in their garden. They called the police and, while they were on the phone, Mr Miles began shouting and swearing outside and smashing glass. They heard another smash and the front window of the defendant’s own property had been smashed.
“The neighbour went to check on his greenhouse and Mr Miles was verbally abusive and threatening.”
When police arrived, magistrates were told, Mr Miles continued to rave, hurling furniture into the road and then resisting arrest.
He admitted causing £100 worth of criminal damage to a window belonging to Sovereign Housing and possessing a quantity of the Class B controlled drug cannabis on the same occasion.
He also has previous convictions, said Ms Waite.
Mike Davis, defending, said: “He found himself something of a square peg in a round hole - all the other occupants were considerably older than him. They’re old people’s bungalows, in effect.
“On this occasion, he had a small breakdown. He had been drinking and was behaving oddly, to put it mildly. He wasn’t throwing things at anybody in particular; he had just lost the plot.”
As a result of his actions, said Mr Davis, Mr Miles spent three nights in a police cell and was later evicted by the housing association.
He currently lives in Newtown Road, Newbury.
Magistrates made Mr Miles subject to a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £100 compensation to Sovereign Housing.