Featherstone resident found guilty of noise nuisance
Thursday, August 15, 2024
A Featherstone woman has been found guilty of causing persistent noise nuisance to her neighbours and issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) after action was taken by Wakefield Council.
Mya Hickey, aged 22, of Halton Street, Featherstone, was convicted of two offences at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court on 10 July 2024 and given a five-year CBO at the same court on 9 August 2024.
The Court also ordered Mya Hickey to pay £216 for the charges, £200 contribution to costs and a victim surcharge of £86, totalling £502.
“We won’t tolerate this type of behaviour, as it can cause severe sleep disturbance, stress and anxiety for neighbours.
“We want to be very clear - we will and do take court action when people won’t work with us to change unreasonable behaviour and would encourage anyone to report noise problems to us if their lives are being affected.”
Cllr Jack Hemingway
Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change
The court was told Mya Hickey consistently caused noise nuisance from loud music, shouting and screaming and from her dog barking which has severely affected nearby residents. This was despite a formal notice to stop which was issued last year.
The Criminal Behaviour Order prevents Mya Hickey from directly or indirectly acting in a manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress by playing loud amplified music and abusive, excessive shouting and screaming at any time that the noise can be heard from outside the property or in neighbouring properties. Or failing to prevent noise from persistent and continuous dog barking at the property so that the noise can be heard outside or in neighbouring properties such as to cause harassment, alarm and distress.
Noise at the property will continue to be monitored by officers in person or using noise monitoring equipment. If noise from shouting and screaming, music or dog barking is a nuisance and causing harassment, alarm or distress to her neighbours in breach of the CBO requirements, then this will be brought back to court.
Breaching a CBO can have serious consequences, like a prison sentence or another fine.
To make a noise complaint, visit https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/anti-social-behaviour/report-a-noise-problem/