Man in court for ‘abusing lesbian neighbours by playing When a Man Loves a Woman on repeat’
Percy Sledge (Getty)
A millionaire businessman abused his lesbian neighbours by playing When a Man Loves a Woman at them on repeat for an hour, a court heard yesterday.
Neil Dymott, 56, allegedly launched his campaign of harassment – which included shouting and swearing at Helen Richardson and Paula Holland – because the couple’s cockerel was too loud.
He claimed that the animal’s crowing was devaluing his home even after it was killed in 2015, Southampton Magistrates Court was told.
Percy Sledge (Wikipedia)
He even pushed Richardson against a fence at one point, leaving her with a cut on her arm, the court heard.
Dymott denies two charges of harassment.
Giving evidence, Richardson said: “On one occasion he shouted across the road that I was a ‘f***ing lezza’ and proceeded to play When a Man Loves a Woman on repeat for an hour.”
She added that apart from Percy Sledge’s hit 1966 song, Dymott would play Radio 2 and Queen songs at the couple, targeting the women every time he heard their cockerel crow.
“I could hear it clearly – the music, the words – from inside the house,” Richardson said.
Percy Sledge (Getty)
Police community support officer Vickie Pressey told the court that she attended Dymott’s home in June 2015 in response to a noise complaint.
She found a Jaguar on his drive with all the doors and boot open, “blaring” out Queen music.
Dymott allegedly shouted: “Shut that cockerel up or I’ll sort you” on multiple occasions when the cockerel crowed.
He was also said to have called Richardson a “sick witch” and a “psycho”.
Richardson said that at one point, Dymott walked into her driveway and said: “Don’t you f***ing mess with a multi-millionaire.
Percy Sledge (Getty)
“My barrister is going to get you for £50,000 because you have devalued my house”.
The court heard that the dispute began when Richardson and Holland took in rescued hens, one of whom laid an egg which hatched a cockerel.
Dymott, a retired businessman, allegedly repeatedly threatened to sue the couple because he said the crowing was affecting the value of his £1 million house, which lies 80 yards from their home.
The couple responded to a council letter telling them about a neighbour’s noise complaint by moving the cockerel further down the garden and soundproofing his home.
They also bought him an anti-crowing collar, which prevented his crowing by restricting his air flow, before the bird died.
Despite his death, Dymott continued to harass the couple, blaming them for neighrbours’ cockerels and crowing on the surrounding farmland.
Claire Hook, prosecuting, said: “The cockerel died in November 2015 and the defendant was still convinced they were hiding a cockerel or there was a cockerel on the property.
“There was intrusive contact.
“Hearing a cockerel would be part of normal countryside but these two victims took the brunt of Mr Dymott’s offence.”
