£100k damages writ over hell neighbour

Dominic McGrath Dominic McGrath

A HOMEOWNER who claims he was hoodwinked into buying a property next to a neighbour from hell has launched a legal battle for £100,000 compensation.

Kevin Hurst bought a semi-detached house in Wickford, next to Dominic McGrath, a piano teacher who has been jailed for harassing neighbours, and given a ten-year antisocial behaviour order.

Now Mr Hurst, who paid £179,000 for the house, in Melville Drive, in July 2008, is suing previous owners Stuart and Caroline Wilson for damages of £100,000.

Mr Hurst claims Mrs Wilson told him Mr McGrath was an old man who tended to keep himself to himself.

In legal forms, the Wilsons claimed there had been no problems or disputes with neighbours, and they had not had any negotiations or discussions with any neighbours or authorities which affected the house in any way.

But Mr McGrath was unfriendly, with a history of extreme antisocial behaviour, and subjected the Wilsons and other residents to sustained, unpleasant antisocial behaviour, the writ says.

Mr Wilson, now of Bliss Close, Witham, had given evidence against Mr McGrath when he stood trial for harassing neighbours in April 2007, and the couple had also complained to the police about his behaviour, and had received letters from the police about him.

They had also had numerous discussions with neighbours in Melville Road about his behaviour.

Mr Hurst said if he had known about Mr McGrath, he would not have bought the house, which he now cannot sell.

Mr McGrath has made the lives of him and his wife, Kerry, a misery, and caused them serious and prolonged upset, distress and anxiety, he added.

The writ says: “Put simply, they have found themselves with a ‘neighbour from hell’.”

Mr McGrath has blocked their drive with pots, sang and played loud music, and has frequently worn his intimidating balaclava.

Mr Hurst said his home is worth £94,500 instead of the £180,000 it should be worth, and is demanding the difference from the Wilsons.

Mr McGrath was jailed for six months at Basildon Crown Court in June 2011 for using threatening or intimidating behaviour, and had his mental health treatment extended.

Comments(32)

R85 says...
8:47am Fri 9 Mar 12

I’m pretty sure a hitman would cost a lot less than £100,000!

Dingo says...
9:21am Fri 9 Mar 12

It could perhaps be argued that Mr McGrath adds 'character' to the area.

Blind Haze says...
9:27am Fri 9 Mar 12

I hear he's a big fan of bleach.

Dingo says...
9:30am Fri 9 Mar 12

Blind Haze wrote:
I hear he's a big fan of bleach.
Perhaps he played the part of 'Big Dom' from the 1990's Domestos adverts.

Other brands of bleach are available.

Nebs says...
9:38am Fri 9 Mar 12

I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.

al coniston says...
9:41am Fri 9 Mar 12

Nebs wrote:
I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.
erm . . . . . why ?

Blind Haze says...
9:44am Fri 9 Mar 12

Dingo wrote:
Blind Haze wrote: I hear he's a big fan of bleach.
Perhaps he played the part of 'Big Dom' from the 1990's Domestos adverts. Other brands of bleach are available.
Big Bad Dom? I don't remember any balaclava in that advert.

rjsizzler says...
9:47am Fri 9 Mar 12

The law is quite clear on disclosing this sort of information. I hope he gets his compensation.

Nebs says...
10:06am Fri 9 Mar 12

al coniston wrote:
Nebs wrote:
I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.
erm . . . . . why ?
Just to verify the facts of the story, which say "Mr Hurst, who paid £179,000 for the house, in Melville Drive, in July 2008".

Brunning999 says...
10:08am Fri 9 Mar 12

A Russian taxi journey would do that nutter good preferably handcuffed.

Blind Haze says...
10:23am Fri 9 Mar 12

If you google Dominic McGrath, there's plenty of stories about him, many from the Echo.

Oddly enough, you can still comment on this one from 2008

http://www.echo-news
.co.uk/news/3967052.
Neighbour_from_hell_
trouble_yet_again/

Alan Jacobs says...
10:55am Fri 9 Mar 12

Yep , that's a proper scary balaclava.
I'm certainly not going to sleep well tonight. It's really frightened me.
A scary pianist singing through his balaclava...........
.......

EthanEdwards says...
12:13pm Fri 9 Mar 12

Stop picking on him, he's only one foot tall.

He is in fact a twelve inch pianist.

maxell says...
12:30pm Fri 9 Mar 12

you have been warned everybody knows how techy piano tunners get its the frustration that goes with the job a good piano tuners has a very sensative ears simple sounds set them off

katch22 says...
3:16pm Fri 9 Mar 12

al coniston wrote:
Nebs wrote:
I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.
erm . . . . . why ?
LOL, Yesh, Oh Yesh, why?

katch22 says...
3:17pm Fri 9 Mar 12

Brunning999 wrote:
A Russian taxi journey would do that nutter good preferably handcuffed.
But, but, but wasn't russia communist?

GingerC says...
3:42pm Fri 9 Mar 12

Cleaning the streets with bleach, picks up the rubbish, moves on teenagers, sounds like a model citizen to me...

Blind Haze says...
3:51pm Fri 9 Mar 12

GingerC wrote:
Cleaning the streets with bleach, picks up the rubbish, moves on teenagers, sounds like a model citizen to me...
And the picture he has in his front room window of a man with a gun...?

Brunning999 says...
8:13pm Fri 9 Mar 12

katch22 wrote:
Brunning999 wrote:
A Russian taxi journey would do that nutter good preferably handcuffed.
But, but, but wasn't russia communist?
Is that supposed to be funny or something like a joke !

Why ask me you was a member.

katch22 says...
11:42pm Fri 9 Mar 12

Brunning999 wrote:
katch22 wrote:
Brunning999 wrote:
A Russian taxi journey would do that nutter good preferably handcuffed.
But, but, but wasn't russia communist?
Is that supposed to be funny or something like a joke !

Why ask me you was a member.
i'd say you were a member as well only not a communist member Lol.

Im not affiliated to any political ideology or party not even the mad hatters!

Nebs says...
9:51am Sat 10 Mar 12

katch22 wrote:
al coniston wrote:
Nebs wrote:
I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.
erm . . . . . why ?
LOL, Yesh, Oh Yesh, why?
I refer you to the answer that I gave at 10.06am on Friday.

The Cater Wood Creeper says...
11:58am Sat 10 Mar 12

katch22 wrote:
Brunning999 wrote:
katch22 wrote:
Brunning999 wrote: A Russian taxi journey would do that nutter good preferably handcuffed.
But, but, but wasn't russia communist?
Is that supposed to be funny or something like a joke ! Why ask me you was a member.
i'd say you were a member as well only not a communist member Lol. Im not affiliated to any political ideology or party not even the mad hatters!
you're a country member

katch22 says...
2:12pm Sat 10 Mar 12

The Cater Wood Creeper wrote:
katch22 wrote:
Brunning999 wrote:
katch22 wrote:
Brunning999 wrote: A Russian taxi journey would do that nutter good preferably handcuffed.
But, but, but wasn't russia communist?
Is that supposed to be funny or something like a joke ! Why ask me you was a member.
i'd say you were a member as well only not a communist member Lol. Im not affiliated to any political ideology or party not even the mad hatters!
you're a country member
I reside in the country that is true!

katch22 says...
2:15pm Sat 10 Mar 12

Nebs wrote:
katch22 wrote:
al coniston wrote:
Nebs wrote:
I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.
erm . . . . . why ?
LOL, Yesh, Oh Yesh, why?
I refer you to the answer that I gave at 10.06am on Friday.
I refer you to the question i asked at 3.16 on Friday.

Nebs says...
5:54pm Sat 10 Mar 12

I refer you to the answer that I gave at 10.06am on Friday.

Nebs says...
5:55pm Sat 10 Mar 12

katch22 wrote:
Nebs wrote:
katch22 wrote:
al coniston wrote:
Nebs wrote:
I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.
erm . . . . . why ?
LOL, Yesh, Oh Yesh, why?
I refer you to the answer that I gave at 10.06am on Friday.
I refer you to the question i asked at 3.16 on Friday.
I refer you to the answer that I gave at 10.06am on Friday.

MaxSteel says...
7:34pm Sat 10 Mar 12

I think we have found out who sash bore boy is

katch22 says...
8:36pm Sat 10 Mar 12

Nebs wrote:
katch22 wrote:
Nebs wrote:
katch22 wrote:
al coniston wrote:
Nebs wrote:
I've looked on zoopla, and can't see any properties that sold in that road for £179,000 in July 2008.
erm . . . . . why ?
LOL, Yesh, Oh Yesh, why?
I refer you to the answer that I gave at 10.06am on Friday.
I refer you to the question i asked at 3.16 on Friday.
I refer you to the answer that I gave at 10.06am on Friday.
Take it as said!

sash bore buoy says...
9:27pm Sat 10 Mar 12

MaxSteel wrote:
I think we have found out who sash bore boy is
mrs asbo also has a gimp suit.

sash bore buoy says...
9:30pm Sat 10 Mar 12

btw did you get a clue yet maxsteel or are you still struggling with playschool economics?

sash bore buoy says...
10:10pm Sat 10 Mar 12

still smarting from our last encounter? the sandpit's over thaar little boy. btw you never spoke to me before as you ascerted...you are a new user (you have no history on a google search)...might want to lighten up on the dope.

All 9 of me says...
8:28am Sun 11 Mar 12

little boy... good how you can assume the dimensions of someone merely by how they type............rega
rding the story, anyone with pupils that small is clearly on some heavy medication

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