A judge has imposed a restraining order on an Ennis man after hearing he destroyed his neighbours’ “Chelsea Flower Show” floral display with weedkiller as part of an ongoing row.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Vincent Deane granted the three-year restraining order to an Ennis couple against the man after hearing the disagreement arose when the applicant planted flowers in a public area opposite the homes in the housing estate.
The joint applicant for the restraining order told the court that after moving into the residential area a few years ago, he set out to improve a Clare County Council-owned area across from the houses, clearing it of briars and weeds to plant flowers.
The man said that the council gave him a €400 grant for flowers.
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However, the man said his retired neighbour did not like what he was doing.
In evidence, the man told the court: “He came to me and he told me that ‘we had a separate way of doing things on the street’, and that he didn’t want someone like myself coming in disturbing things.
“I said to him ‘I only want to clean up the street, plant flowers’. I got grants off the council for the flowers and I had it like the Chelsea Flower Show, and he destroyed everything by putting weedkiller on the flowers.”
The man said his disgruntled neighbour – who did not appear in court for the restraining order application hearing – told him “he didn’t want change on the street and he was happy with the way it was”.
The man said his neighbour became threatening and abusive, “and I made a complaint to gardaí”.
The man said he wanted to improve the look of the area, mainly for the residents.
He said: “When they look out their window and it looks like the Chelsea Flower Show, it makes them happy – and then someone comes along like that and destroys everything.”
Asked by Judge Deane whether he had ever spoken to his neighbour after that, the man said one day the neighbour had become verbally abusive, “and I asked him, ‘If you want to do something, come over with a pair of wellies on you and give me a hand’”.
The man alleged that his neighbour then “took out a penknife and threatened me. He said that if I didn’t stop he would stick the knife on me, so I went to the gardaí to make a complaint”.
The man said his neighbour had also stood outside his house to take photos of it. He told the court he just wishes that his neighbour would leave himself and his wife alone.
In evidence, the man’s wife told the court: “It is continuous harassment. I have never known a man to be so aggressive in all my life.”
Judge Deane granted the couple a three-year order stating that the man’s actions of standing outside their home taking photos was inappropriate.
He said: “There doesn’t seem to be any reason why he needs to be photographing the house.”
Judge Deane said that the order is to also prohibit the man having any contact with the couple.
Solicitor John Casey, for the couple, said that since the restraining order had been applied for, the man’s inappropriate behaviour had stopped.
He said: “All they want is for their neighbour to leave them alone.”
William Cahir, solicitor for the man handed the order, said he had been blindsided by the couple’s evidence in court as it went way beyond the statements seeking the order.
In restraining order applications, no party to the case can be identified.
