‘Neighbour from hell’ who attacked home with a hammer & harassed disabled man is STILL living on same street years later
A VENGEFUL neighbour who faces being kicked off his street after harassing a disabled man and threatening to “chop up” his carers, has vowed: “I’m staying put. I’ll behave!”
Stephen Groves waged a two-year campaign against Steven Persaud but since being threatened with an eviction order from his council and being banned from the area he has “calmed down” and so far has not repeated any bad behaviour, according to locals.
Jobless Groves, 56, dubbed a “neighbour from hell”, was captured on video trying to sabotage next door’s Ring doorbell with a broom and claw hammer after Clint it overlooked his home in Shard End, near Birmingham, West Midlands.
Shocking footage obtained by The Sun showed him attempting to unclip the wires as he targeted his wheelchair bound neighbour, and continually harassed him and his carers.
He ranted at them, using foul-mouth language, and jumped out at them.
He told one woman, “You are a f***ing rat”, and allegedly told another he would “chop her up and put her in the f***ing bin”.
Locals have this week told how Groves, who has been given a 24-month restraining order, is still living in his modest home but is rarely seen out.
One woman in Pear Tree Road said: “He is a very odd man and has been aggressive in the past but he seems to have calmed down.
“I think he’s keeping on his best behaviour while the order’s hanging over him.”
The local, who declined to be named, added: “Hopefully it’s taught him a lesson, which is good news.
“He can be a bit of a pain at times.”
Another resident said: “He was worried about losing his home and the housing association said they would evict him if he continued mis-behaving and offered him alternative accommodation.
The man said: “He was given a restraining order and an electronic curfew by the courts.
“He was warned he could be kicked off the street and not allowed within a certain radius of the neighbourhood.”
He told how Groves had told him he didn’t want to move, telling him: “I’m staying put. I’ll behave! I don’t want to go anywhere else. I like living here.”
Groves had previously admitted three charges of harassment at Birmingham Magistrates Court in February against his neighbour and two carers, and was ordered to pay £100 compensation to each of his victims.
The court heard the carers were sometimes “too frightened” to enter the Steven’s home and at time he had to go without help.
The victim’s niece Victoria Riscinskis told JPs: “It has been hell for my uncle. He is a disabled man and he just doesn’t need this added stress.”
Neither Steven nor his tormenter Groves were available for comment when out website visited their street.
Nightmare neighbour who threatened to ‘chop up’ man’s carers & attacked Ring Doorbell could be kicked off street
A NIGHTMARE neighbour who threatened to “chop up” a disabled man’s carers could be kicked off his street, it has been reported.
Stephen Groves was taken to court after he was filmed smashing up Steven Persaud’s Ring doorbell in a terrifying harassment campaign.
Footage obtained by The Sun showed Groves repeatedly whacking the doorbell with a broom and hammer – just weeks after he was convicted of harassing the same neighbour.
Other clips show him scrawling on the lens with a marker pen, taking a screwdriver to the device and trying to clip its wires.
Groves, from Shard End in Birmingham, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court in February and admitted three charges of harassment.
The nuisance was given a two-year restraining order, a 12-week electronic curfew, 20 days of probation and was ordered to pay £100 compensation to each of his three victims.
But now, further claims of threats have been made at a separate hearing – and Birmingham City Council is said to want to force Groves out using anti-social behaviour laws.
The Mirror reports the council has applied for an injunction to ban him from entering his street – meaning he may have to move.
Barrister Peter Saville, for the council, told Birmingham county court: “The council’s case is that Mr Groves’ conduct has amounted to a campaign of harassment over a number of years against the carers of his neighbour Steven Persaud.
“Carers visit him four times a day. Two carers in particular have been subjected to a campaign of harassment.”
According to the council, Groves threatened to “cut up” the carers and used “derogatory language towards them which indicated aggression”.
It was claimed he would jump out at carers, allegedly telling one woman he would “chop her up and put her in the f***ing bin”.
The council said: “This behaviour caused one carer to resign and both remaining carers have stated they feel alarm and distress when visiting the property.”
It added that Mr Persaud, who is in a wheelchair, sometimes has to go without help “because carers have been too frightened to access his home”.
Groves, who denies wrongdoing, has been offered alternative accommodation.
He has represented himself at court, and said: “I’ve decided not to go anywhere now.
“I’m staying where I am because I’ve done nothing wrong.”