Barnet man admits killing neighbour’s koi carp after noise dispute

A 76-year-old Barnet man admitted killing his neighbour’s koi carp after a long-running dispute over noise from a garden fishpond. Gerry Duffy, of Hadley Road, pleaded guilty at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to damaging the pond, water pump and pipes in March.

The prosecution, as reported by the Evening Standard, said Duffy had warned Andreas Ptohides that he would take action if the noise from the water pump was not addressed. Shahid Iftakhar, prosecuting, told the court Duffy was captured on CCTV climbing into the garden and damaging the equipment.

Fish killed and pump destroyed

Five or six of Ptohides’s koi carp died as a result of the damage, the court heard. The prosecution estimated the total cost of the destruction at £565. Duffy used motor oil and detergent to contaminate the pond, according to the Evening Standard.

Duffy’s solicitor, Elliott Stern, told the court his client had tried to resolve the dispute without resorting to violence. Stern said Duffy had spoken to Ptohides several times and was initially assured the pump would be turned off at night. When that did not happen, Duffy felt he had no other option.

Stern said an environmental officer visited Duffy’s home and told him he would either have to move or keep his windows closed to avoid the noise. The solicitor described Duffy’s actions as out of character, driven by frustration and lack of sleep.

What happens next

Duffy will be sentenced later on Tuesday at Willesden Magistrates’ Court. The court has not yet indicated whether the case will be referred to a higher court for sentencing. The maximum penalty for criminal damage is ten years’ imprisonment, though magistrates’ courts can impose sentences of up to six months for a single offence.