Noisy neighbour to be evicted for blaring out DIANA ROSS hits & "I Have a Dream"

[jobeterob]

Stop in the name of love! Noisy neighbour to be evicted for blaring out DIANA ROSS hits at full blast and playing Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech on repeat


By Lizzie Parry

PUBLISHED: 11:40 GMT, 7 January 2014 | UPDATED: 13:03 GMT, 7 January 2014


Norman Thompson is being evicted after he terrorised neighbours with his incessant playing of Diana Ross hits and Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech
Norman Thompson is being evicted after he terrorised neighbours with his incessant playing of Diana Ross hits and Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech

A Motown fan is being evicted from his home after infuriated neighbours were driven mad by his incessant love of Diana Ross.

Norman Thompson indulged his passion for the Supremes singer, playing Baby Love, You Can't Hurry Love and Stop in the Name of Love at full volume and on repeat.

And the 68-year-old terrorised neighbours with weekly renditions of Martin Luther King's 1963 'I Have A Dream' speech, choosing to blast the famous recording across the street in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

In September Thompson's Christmas spirit subjected his neighbourhood to more Motown mayhem, blaring festive favourites including Ross's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, adding to the headache.


Thompson, from Leek in Staffordshire, was issued with a harassment notice last summer but ignored the order and was taken to court.

The Motown menace has now been handed a restraining order, banning him from contacting his neighbours, and swearing at them.


Speaking after the case at North Staffordshire magistrates' court, neighbour Wendy Bowyer, 66, who lives with husband Christopher said: 'It has been hell on earth since June.

'It has made us both ill. I am glad we have got the restraining order. I hope he is gone soon and this will be the end of it. We were driven mad by him playing Motown Christmas songs.'


Patricia Knight, 61, said: 'Since they’ve taken away his music it’s been completely different. We used to hear all these civil rights speeches.

'Then in the middle of the summer he would open all his windows and doors and play Christmas carols. It was ridiculous.'

Thomas Bettany, 84, said: 'We have a lot of elderly people here. It’s changed our lives completely. It’s annoying because we didn’t ask for the noise.'

Hits including Baby Love and Stop in the Name of Love were constantly playing a full volume in Thompson's neighbourhood

Radios, speaker systems and a television were among 19 items seized from Thompson’s home following a crackdown by Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Moorlands Housing.

Prosecutor Andrew Bodger told the court: 'After the harassment warning notice was issued the defendant continued to play loud music, and on August 26 matters came to a head.

'Mrs Bowyer saw the defendant in his garden shouting abuse at another neighbour. He then saw Mrs Bowyer and was abusive towards her too. This quite considerably distressed her.

'This was around midday. At 5pm Mr Bowyer went out to the bins and again the defendant shouted at him. He was abusive and swearing.'

Thompson pleaded guilty to a charge of using threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.


His lawyer Mike Kimberley said: 'He has some mental health issues and has been let down by certain agencies.

'He spent a lot of his savings making the property habitable and is very house-proud.

'But some neighbours took exception to him, and comments have been made. He has been handcuffed and humiliated in front of his neighbours. He has been frightened to put his music on and frightened to go into his own garden.

'Eviction proceedings have been issued against him so it has not been a very pleasant Christmas for him.'

Magistrates fined Thompson £65 and ordered him to pay £85 costs. It is expected he will be evicted within the next eight weeks.


Neighbours were subjected to weekly playins og Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech, usually in the early hours of Sundays. Thompson will be evicted from his home after pleading guilty to using threatening behaviour. He was subjected to a restraining order, preventing him from returning to the street
Neighbours were subjected to weekly playins og Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech, usually in the early hours of Sundays. Thompson will be evicted from his home after pleading guilty to using threatening behaviour. He was subjected to a restraining order, preventing him from returning to the street

The two-year restraining order bans him from returning to the street once he is evicted from the property.


In a statement Thompson said: 'It’s all a conspiracy by people who don’t like me to get me evicted.

'I didn’t play music at night. I have made a home here out of a hovel. I put a new carpet down and made the place nice. If any of the stuff comes back damaged, I will sue the council for every last penny.'

District councillor Gill Burton, cabinet member for communities at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council said: 'We cannot stand by and allow residents to suffer and I hope that the action we have taken will encourage others to behave responsibly.'

[antceleb12]

Sounds like this guy might have some more serious issues going on. Either way, I'm not sure why this is is newsworthy...he violated terms of a lease agreement [[noise violation is not unreasonable) and he's being punished for it. Even if it is Motown and MLK, that would drive me nuts, too.

[smark21]

Can you paste the direct link and in the future when you paste an article if you can clean it up so we don't have to read all the repetitions? Thank you.

I wonder if this guy posts as thewizboy on youtube?

[144man]

Most of my neighbours are very considerate. Unfortunately, those that are noisy don't have such good taste as Mr Thompson. I hope I don't disturb anyone when I get up in the mjddle of the night to listen to Midnight Johnny.

[smark21]

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Noisy...ail/story.html

Here's the direct link if you can't wade through jobetrob's dreadful cut and paste job.

[jobeterob]

LOL! I will have to do better.

Sometimes, I'm in a hurry, at work etc. And I figure it's best to throw it on, even in a messy fashion.

[soulster]

The guy must be a member here.

[jobeterob]

The guy must be a member here.

Bad Bad Bad! But funny.

If he has a computer, I'm sure he is on Youtube!

[supremester]

It might be me. When I got Back In My Arms Again, I put the top speaker facing out inside my window and blasted it until I got complaints from the neighbors when my parents got home. I couldn't help it - I just wanted the whole neighborhood to kvell in that killer new record. 49 years later, it might not have been the most ideal situation for the elderly couple next door.

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Noisy...ail/story.html

Here's the direct link if you can't wade through jobetrob's dreadful cut and paste job.

[midnightman]

I'd probably get them evicted too. Jesus, get some headphones lol

[soulster]

If I had to hear Diana Ross that much i'd probably be in prison for murder.

[smark21]

Well there are some people out there who only listen to one act and one act only.

[thomas96]

He deserves it. I don't care what's being played, it's unacceptable to do what he did.

[soulster]

Well there are some people out there who only listen to one act and one act only.

They aren't true music lovers. They're obsessed with the singer and the image, not their music.

[jobeterob]

He deserves it. I don't care what's being played, it's unacceptable to do what he did.

He was a lost soul. Certainly didn't look a crazed Rossfan............looked just simply crazed.

[supremester]

What does a crazed Ross fan look like? [[I don't have a mirror)

[jobeterob]

Um there's another option - find a picture of Marv! Just crazed in a less healthy way!