A “NEIGHBOUR from hell” smashed up a fence in a row so wild he was arrested – but he won’t be evicted from his home.
Convicted harasser David Jones allegedly walks around naked, urinates in his front garden and even cruelly compared a mum who lives nearby to Disney ogre Shrek.
Door footage allegedly shows nightmare neighbour David Jones exposing his penis
The man then urinates up against a home
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaJones called a mum Shrek[/caption]
His horrified neighbours have slammed police and housing association Midland Heart for failing to act swiftly to deter his alleged behaviour.
Jones, 47, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was recently hauled before court after being arrested and later charged.
He admitted using threatening words or behaviour and racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress in relation to his neighbours.
But nearby residents believe the 12-month community service order he was handed won’t halt his behaviour.
He made homophobic slurs towards one disgusted neighbour, causing him to temporarily move out of his home, and made racist remarks to police officers following his arrest, the court heard.
Jobless Jones moved into the housing association ground floor flat in deprived Brindley Ford, on the outskirts of Stoke, in August last year.
His next door neighbour, an out-of-work 32-year-old who suffered health issues and is cared for by his wife, 42, told The Sun: “He is the neighbour from hell.”
The couple, who declined to be named for fear of reprisal, echoed: “As soon as he moved in there were non-stop issues with him.”
Their complaints led to his arrest and they believe he should be booted out of his home.
The wife, who the court heard had been likened by Jones to fictional ogre Shrek, said: “He is noisy, rude and is a complete nightmare.
She added: “The housing association is aware of the problems we all have with him, we’ve informed them, but they say they cannot do anything about it and cannot evict him until a six month tenancy is up.
“Well, he’s been here for that time and more now. He needs to be gone, so we can all enjoy the peace and quiet we deserve.
She said Jones had carers who come to look after him, as well as a brother and others who often visit.
“At times there’s shouting and screaming at four in the morning,” she said.
Reliving the ordeal which resulted in cops being called, the woman said: “It was a row over a communal fence which just escalated.”
Shortly after moving in last summer, Jones had complained about the couple’s pretty solar lights on their shared garden trellis fence, the court heard.
The neighbour explained: “It was early evening and he started shouting at me to take the lights off, which the previous tenants have never complained about and had enjoyed.
“He started pulling down the lights and wrecking the fence, calling me a psycho when I told him to shut up and stop doing it.
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaJones was arrested after a fence row[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaA smashed window at the housing association complex[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaNeighbours say Jones makes their lives hell[/caption]
“He was ranting and raving, he has no teeth, and was very scary and he started calling me ‘Shrek’. I was scared and trying to humour him.”
The flame-haired woman said: “I was saying to him ‘you should be calling me Princess Fiona, at least she has red hair, and not Shrek, that is insulting!’”
She continued: “That evening three cops cars, an ambulance and riot van turned up at out flats. He was arrested.”
The complainant, a local resident for four years, gave a statement to police about the alleged abuse and threats she had received, and her husband too when he challenged him, saying: “A woman should never be spoken to like that.”
Last week Jones was handed a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement for 15 days after appearing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.
Whilst in custody he had used offensive and racist language towards police officers, the court heard.
Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail said Jones became abusive and threatening during a dispute with his neighbours over garden fairy lights on August 4 last year.
She told the court: “The neighbour’s partner went out to find the defendant. He started shouting at her. He said, ‘I am taking my property back.’ He was trying to pull the fence down.
“He started to become abusive, calling her a mad woman and a psycho.
“He said, ‘do you know who you remind me of? Shrek. This hurt the neighbour’s partner. The neighbour went outside and the defendant was aggressive to him calling him a psycho and a paedophile.
“The neighbour noticed the defendant had broken the fence. He picked up a piece of broken fence.
“Jones said, ‘do not hit my dog’. He had no intention to hit his dog.
“Jones became more irate and said, ‘wait until I get you on your own. I am going to smash your face in’.
“He continued, ‘I will smash your face into the concrete floor’. Jones went back to his house.
“Police attended and the defendant was arrested and taken to custody. He verbally abused officers calling them offensive names and stuck his fingers up to them.
“He said, ‘you little s**g. You are a gay little b***h’.
“At 11.20pm he was arrested for public order. He was cautioned and he said, ‘you are gay. I am bisexual so I can say it’.
The solicitor went on to say, Jones called the officers racial slurs. Jones pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour and racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.
Joanne Corbett, mitigating, said Jones has had a problem with alcohol for a number of years.
But he has been on a detox programme and has not had an alcoholic drink for the last 10 weeks.
She said: “He accepts full responsibility. His judgement was clouded by alcohol on the day in question. In the police station he was suffering from the daily effects of alcohol.”
Jones was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.
The victim only found out Jones has been convicted after a friend saw a story on a local news website and informed her.
He has been banned from speaking to her and and her husband either directly or indirectly, according to bail conditions.
The woman said: “I don’t think a conviction will stop him being rude and offensive.
“He told the court he had stopped drinking but I doubt he has.”
Her husband added: “I can’t imagine he’ll get round to doing his community service, so I don’t think it is an adequate deterrent.”
Another neighbour, 36, who did not wish to be named, told The Sun: “We have all complained to the housing association about his behaviour but they say because he is an alcoholic and has carers they cannot cut short his probationary six month tenancy.
“Whilst he has not driven me to move permanently away I have been staying away at times because he has an effect on my mental health.
“He has caused us all a lot of problems. We don’t like sitting out in our garden in case he is out there shouting with his brother or flashing his bits while hanging out his washing.”
The man continued: “Kids don’t play out in the communal area any more.
“It is quite sad to see how one person can affect an area so much.
“I’ve complained numerous times to the housing association, they read my messages but they don’t respond. It is highly frustrating.”
A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police said: “We were called to Fishers Street in Brindley Ford, Stoke-on-Trent, at about 6.40pm on Sunday 4 August after David Jones, 47, of Stoke-on-Trent, reported that he was experiencing issues with his neighbour.
“Officers met with Jones the same day and spoke to him. They also visited his neighbour and spoke to them to find out more about what happened.
“Suitable advice was given to both parties and officers left the scene.
“The same evening, a 999 call was received stating that Jones had returned to his address and was being verbally abusive with a number of people in the area.
“Officers returned to the scene and arrested him just after 9pm. He continued to be verbally abusive with a number of officers while in custody.
“Jones pleaded guilty to using threatening/abusive/insulting words and or behaviour with intent to cause fear of /provoke unlawful violence and racially aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/distress at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 4 February 2025 and was given a 12-month community order.”
The Sun tried to approach Jones for a response to his conviction and further allegations made against him.
A spokesperson for housing provider Midland Heart said: “We are aware of the situation at this address and understand the impact this has had on neighbours and the local community.
“As a responsible landlord, we take these issues extremely seriously and have been working closely with Staffordshire Police and other agencies for some time to address the anti-social behaviour and provide the necessary support to make it stop.
“We are keeping in close contact with neighbours who have been affected to reassure them of all the necessary steps which are being taken to resolve this matter.”
AlamyShrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey in Shrek 2[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
