Following a disagreement regarding a garden fence, a man has been imprisoned for dismantling his neighbour’s roof.

The judge characterized Mark Coates as a ‘Human Wrecking Ball.’ This comes after he busted a whole through his roof, from which he ascended. At the time, Mr Coates lived in a semi-detached house in Robertsbridge, East Sussex.

He began removing tiles and chimney pots prior to hurling them to the ground. Coates then focused on his neighbour’s roof, once dismantling his roof. His neighbour was a lady called Janice Turner.

Ms Turner reached out to the police, as she broke down, with Mr Coates causing some considerable damage to her property.

Police caught Mr Coates on video destroying the roofs of both homes with a hammer, in the thick of a stand off with officers lasting for around 2 hours.

Coates caused well over £200,000 worth of destruction to his and his neighbour’s property. Coates was eventually put into custody following on from his arrest.

Coates was found guilty of criminal damage, two counts on the properties, and was also given a restraining order. But following on from a trial at Lewes Crown Court, Coates was had two counts of harassment or fear of violence cleared.

He was given a prison sentence of four years and four months by Ben Williams KC, suggesting that the damage of the properties was a ‘Revenge attack,’ on his neighbours, with some distressing repercussions.

For the past seven years, the neighbours have been incredibly stressed as a result of such events. Ms Turner was so anxious, that she was unable to attend the court hearing.

‘I was crying. I felt very, very frightened. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was extremely distressed,’

Mr Greenwood added: ‘He was systematically and vindictively destroying the property. He cut a hole through the joists. He took the staircase out of his house. His aim was to destroy and diminish its value. It was calculating and spiteful.’

The occurrence concluded last year in June, following on from a disagreement among neighbours due to a fence panel falling down, a disagreement lasting for around 7 years.

Both sets of neighbours could not reach agreement on the position of the boundary, following on from a new fence that was put into place to segregate their gardens.

If you are in dispute with a roofer or a homeowner, feel free to visit our company website on; https://www.corc.co.uk/free-help-and-advice/complaints/. 

Alternatively, if you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to call us on 01206 306 600 or send us an email to info@corc.co.uk.