I thought that I might take some time to document some happenings over the past few years.
I have a neighbour (hereinafter referred to as NFH) who considers himself to be a minor "Godfather". Fagin would be a better epithet. In fact he sometimes jokingly assumes that title. For example a local person maintains that her husband was once one of his "boys" and the NFH referred to him as "My Oliver" indicating that he was the only one that wouldn't steal for him. NFH still has a small army of boys some of which are almost adult.
NFH rarely does anything himself it is always his "boys" that do it. The one exception being one day when in a fit of temper he threw some dog's mess over my garden wall narrowly missing the washing on the line. This was witnessed by a third party and NFH was given a warning by the police.
Why is he so antagonistic you ask? The answer is twofold, first is the King's Hall and the second is the London Road Community Forum.
Although there had been problems for a few years, things really came to a head when the licence for the King's Hall was due for renewal. Details can be found here:-
http://www.dover.gov.uk/councillors/council_meetings/update/docs/AGENDA-LICENSING-290703.pdf
I grant that there had been problems in the past with noise but the owner, Brian Ward, went to a good deal of work and expense in sound proofing the place such that it now meets the requirements of DDC's Environmental Health Department.
I went along to support the King's Hall. I have to say that living next door to it has never been a problem for me.
As regards the LRCF, NFH views it as usurping his position as local Godfather. "Leave it to me, I'll sort it out" is his common saying.
It was soon after the Licensing Session that the locks on my front door and the King's Hall were super-glued. Slates on the extension at the rear of the hall were smashed with odd bricks etc being hurled at them. In one instance a scaffold pole was thrust through piercing the ceiling inside. This was witnessed by a resident who refused to report the offender fearing the repercussions. New doors were fitted to the hall which immediately became the target for egg throwing.
Eggs have also been thrown at my property, some were wrapped in handbills that had been distributed advertising an LRCF event. One hit my front window, the other hit the wall next to it. The egg stains on the wall remain to this day as I can't clean it off. The house is yellow brick that has darkened over the years. To clean the egg off would leave bright yellow bricks. On another occasion an egg actually broke a small window at the back of the house. It was the window at the top of the stairwell which was a mix of coloured and engraved glass. It was an engraved panel that was broken.
In August, a weighted tin was thrown through a back bedroom window covering the beds with broken glass. I have a video of NFH calmly watching as one of his boys performed the act. The boy was wearing a hoody and cannot be positively identified. When questioned by police NFH said that he couldn't recall the incident and that he wouldn't have seen it anyway as he is only partially sighted!
In an effort to discredit me, he launched a campaign a couple of years ago alleging that I was homosexual. His boys would call out to me in the town "Terry Nunn takes it up the bum". The phrase was also aerosoled along Barton Path. I was also assaulted and given a kicking late one night by two lads who appeared to know my routine, during the assault they said "F***ing Poof" . Now where could that have come from if not from him? As recently as two weeks ago, I was locking the King's Hall gates at 10.30 when one of his boys left his flat. NFH called out "Go on, hit him. Hit him hard". The only reason he didn't was that he spotted that I had two foot heavy chain in my hand.
We have had two new windscreens because of what appear to be air gun pellets. What else would make a neat 5mm round indentation overnight? Food has been left inside my gate on at least two occasions causing my dog to be violently ill.
Minor but annoying things have also happened. A jar of instant coffee was thrown at the car. Some of it went into airway, the car stank for weeks. Kitchen detritus is thrown over the wall, I'm fed up with cleaning baked beans off the steps.
I could go on but what's the point. He seems to have a charmed life and I don't know why. I really get wound up when PCSO's and Community Wardens chat to him. "He's useful" they say, "He gives us information".
And people wonder why I want to move.
Terry