South East Area

Two more tenants have lost their homes because they failed to modify their behaviour after repeated warnings.

Eve Sheridan, aged 38, of Ravenscroft Road, has been evicted for her terrible behaviour towards her neighbours.

Sheffield City Council was granted a possession order by Sheffield County Court in April in a case prepared by Sheffield Homes. Ms Sheridan caused a significant amount of disturbance to her neighbours through her own conduct and that of visitors to her home. Ms Sheridan admitted conducting herself in a disorderly manner predominantly while drunk, including playing loud music, arguing and using inappropriate language, flooding her neighbours on three occasions and leaving a pan on the hob that caught fire. Ms Sheridan has also been convicted of two counts of violent offences towards neighbours and criminal damage to their property in 2007.

 

His Honour Judge Bullimore said that taking into account all of the evidence it was reasonable to make a possession order. He agreed to suspend it on condition that Ms Sheridan not cause any further nuisance to her neighbours and not allow one of her associates with whom she caused a lot of the problems to enter her flat. Despite this strong warning her behaviour did not improve and she was evicted on 11 September.

 

In a linked case, Kevin Trodden, aged 47, of Ravenscroft Court, is due to be evicted on 10 October. Again he has caused significant problems for his neighbours, usually while drunk, including playing loud music and hurling abuse at them. The case originally came to court in May, where Mr Trodden admitted allegations made by five neighbours. The case was adjourned for medical evidence and came back to court on 12 September. In between the court dates the problems only got worse, and Mr Trodden did not contest new evidence from the five witnesses. The Judge agreed to an eviction date of 10 October.

 

Sheffield Homes then received reports that on 15 September Mr Trodden had entered the home of one of the witnesses and threatened them. Therefore an emergency injunction was applied for and granted at court on 19 September. The injunction forbids him from approaching or communicating with any of the witnesses and anyone they are with. If he breaches it, he could face two years in prison.

 

Councillor Bob McCann, Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Safer Communities, said: "We simply cannot allow behaviour like this to continue. We try really hard to work with tenants and give them a chance to improve their behaviour if we get reports of problems. But, in a situation like this we have to take strong action on behalf of residents, and we have acted extremely quickly in this case to prevent intimidation of witnesses."

A 46 year old man who is challenging an injunction bid by Sheffield City Council has been ordered to keep quiet while he waits for his day in court.

 

Mark Gill’s case is due to go the trial in October. He opposed an application by the Council, in partnership with Sheffield Homes, for an injunction on the grounds of noise nuisance, at Sheffield County Court on Thursday 21 August.

 

In the meantime Mr Recorder Bradshaw made an interim injunction against him after hearing that Mr Gill, of Smelter Wood Crescent, Stradbroke, had not changed his behaviour after being served with a noise abatement notice by the Council’s Environmental Services.

 

Monitoring equipment had recorded noise at the level of “statutory nuisance” on two occasions. There were also complaints about arguing, shouting, swearing, banging and slamming doors and loud music at all times of the day and night.

 

The interim injunction bans Mr Gill from playing loud music or singing loudly, arguing, shouting, swearing and fighting in his flat or communal areas, and banging or slamming doors. If he breaches the interim injunction he could be fined or sentenced to up to two years in prison.

 

Councillor Bob McCann, Sheffield City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable, Safer Communities, said: “Mr Gill will be able to put his case at the trial in October. In the meantime the evidence that we’ve been able to gather should give neighbours the peace and quiet that they’re entitled to. Everyone has a responsibility to be a good neighbour.”

Two Sheffield tenants have been ordered to behave or face the consequences.

 

Sheffield City Council has taken two tenants to court for unacceptable behaviour causing real problems for neighbours.  In both cases injunctions were granted forbidding the tenants from continuing their troublesome behaviour.  The tenants face a fine or even imprisonment if they are found to have breached the injunctions.

 

Edward Stewart, aged 35, of Birchwood Grove, S20, entered his neighbours’ homes without permission and verbally abused them.  He also threatened neighbours at their workplaces and in the local area and damaged other people’s property.  He annoyed neighbours further by shouting and swearing and frequently playing loud music.  He and his friends were also drunken, rowdy, and intimidating at his property.

 

At Sheffield County Court, Judge Bullimore made an injunction against Mr Stewart, forbidding him from making excessive noise, being physically or verbally abusive to residents, visitors, and properties in Birchwood Grove, and contacting witnesses in this case.

 

Kerry Butterley, aged 21, of Landseer Place, S14 has received numerous warnings about excessive noise, following a history of complaints from neighbours about music, shouting, swearing, and door slamming.  The noise was heard by Sheffield Homes Housing Officers on a number of occasions. 

 

Judge Bullimore granted an injunction forbidding Miss Butterley from doing any of these things so loudly that they annoy neighbours: playing music, shouting and swearing, or banging doors.  She is also not allowed to contact the witnesses in the case and she must also pay the Council’s legal costs of £320.38.

 

Councillor Bob McCann, Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Safer Communities, said: “Fortunately it is only a small minority of tenants that cause these problems.  Where tenants do annoy their neighbours and cause a nuisance we will take action, sometimes we only need to warn people but where necessary we will go to court.”