Saturday, February 14, 2009

Man jailed for whistling Addams Family theme every time he saw elderly neighbours

A nuisance neighbour who taunted an elderly couple by whistling the theme from the Addams Family whenever he saw them has been jailed. Leopold Wrobel harassed the pensioners for more than four years, making them feel like prisoners in their home.

His victims, Michael and Kathleen Sharpe, said Wrobel had 'nearly succeeded' in destroying their lives.

Wrobel, 51, had been handed an anti-social behaviour order last December for harassing the couple. But a court heard his nuisance behaviour, which had already lasted for four years, continued on the day the order was imposed.

The court was shown CCTV footage from cameras on the Sharpes' property, which picked up Wrobel's repeated whistling when they arrived at or left the house.

Michael Treharne, prosecuting, said each incident taken in isolation would probably seem silly or almost pathetic. But he added: 'If something happens on an ongoing basis and goes on and on and on, eventually it reaches the stage of being absolutely intolerable.'

Wrobel denied breaching the Asbo and two further counts of harassment, including watching the couple and their family and whistling the theme from the 1960s horror comedy. But he was found guilty by magistrates and sentenced to 20 weeks in prison .

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