EditorNoisy Pembroke Dock neighbour hit with Criminal Behaviour Order after court clash
Paul McNally of Laws Street appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on November 19 where he admitted breaching a Community Protection Notice served by Pembrokeshire County Council.
Magistrates heard how McNally repeatedly thumped his ceiling and hurled expletives at the tenant above, causing “significant alarm and distress.” He falsely claimed he was retaliating to noise from the flat upstairs — but council evidence showed the neighbour was simply carrying out everyday tasks like running taps or flushing the toilet.
Evidence caught on noise app
Complaints were logged with the council and backed up by recordings from The NoiseApp and sound monitoring equipment.
Despite being served with a Community Protection Warning and later a formal Community Protection Notice under the Anti‑Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, McNally’s behaviour continued.
The council prosecuted, and magistrates fined him £162, ordered him to pay a £65 victim surcharge, and hit him with £1,000 in costs.
What is a Criminal Behaviour Order?
Definition:
A Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) is a court order designed to stop persistent offenders from causing harassment, alarm or distress.
When it can be imposed:
Only after someone has been convicted of a criminal offence. The court must be satisfied the offender’s behaviour has caused, or is likely to cause, nuisance or distress.
What it does:
A CBO can prohibitrequire
Duration:
Orders can last for a fixed period or indefinitely, depending on the seriousness of the behaviour.
Breaches:
Breaking a CBO is a criminal offence. It can lead to fines or a custodial sentence.
Background:
CBOs replaced Anti‑Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) in England and Wales in 2014 as the main tool to tackle repeat nuisance behaviour.
Criminal Behaviour Order imposed
Magistrates imposed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) designed to stop further noise and abuse. Any breach will be referred back to court and could result in a custodial sentence.
Cllr Jacob Williams said:
“A Community Protection Notice is a formal legal notice that can be issued by councils to curb this sort of nuisance behaviour, which can have an awful impact on people’s quality of life.
Unfortunately the CPN in this case was not complied with, so the authority was left with no option but to take the matter to court. The result is a conviction, coming at a significant cost to the defendant, which wouldn’t have happened had the CPN been followed.”
What it means for residents
The case highlights how councils can use legal powers to tackle persistent anti‑social behaviour in communities. For neighbours, it means protection from harassment and noise — and for offenders, the risk of fines or even prison if they refuse to comply.
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