Elderly pair threw eggs to annoy

A 75-year-old man and his 82-year-old sister played loud music, threw eggs and banged on the walls of their neighbour's home, a court has heard.

Thomas and Mary Smith, of Brow Road, Wirral, were found to have breached an anti-social behaviour injunction made in February at Liverpool County Court.

Their actions also included throwing glass bottles at the home of their neighbours in Bidston.

Mr Smith was given a 14-day jail term suspended for 12 months.

I don't know the motive but anyone who does what they do must know the consequences Judge David Mackay

No action was taken against his sister, but the injunction which attempts to limit bad behaviour will remain in force until the end of February 2008.

Caroline Laing, of Wirral Council's anti-social behaviour team, said pair's behaviour had caused "considerable distress, frustration and worry to their neighbours".

She added: "Over the past five years they have deliberately played loud music with the purpose of disturbing their neighbours, thrown various items into and at their neighbours' property, including eggs and glass bottles, and banged on their adjoining walls.

"This behaviour occurred at night and into the early hours of the morning."

Provocative behaviour

Under the terms of an anti-social behaviour injunction the offender must be over the age of 17 and the term of the court order need not be limited to five years.

The court was told that since agreeing to the injunction seven months ago, there were 15 further incidents in which the brother and sister were said to have caused nuisance either by playing loud music or banging on the walls.

Judge David Mackay said: "This is a clear case of the Smiths manipulating a situation, playing music and banging in order to provoke.

"I don't know the motive but anyone who does what they do must know the consequences."

Brian Simpson, chief executive of Wirral Partnership Homes, which brought the action, said: "I hope that the Smiths understand the seriousness of the situation and that continued anti-social behaviour will simply not be tolerated."

The siblings claimed they were responding to noise from next door but neither the police nor environmental health officers could find any evidence of such incidents.