Telford noise row man tells of terror at attack by pensioner neighbour
A Telford man has told of his terror after opening the door to his next-door-neighbour – only to be grabbed around the neck and assaulted in a row over noise.
Ian Gillman said he regarded Ronald Craig as a "friendly acquaintance" before the attack, which he claimed came completely out of the blue.
Craig, 70, of Johnstone Close, Wrockwardine Wood, appeared at the town's magistrates court this week to admit assaulting Mr Gillman and using threatening words and behaviour.
Mr Gillman said he moved into his semi-detached bungalow next door to Craig with his wife Debra around three years ago – and said at first everything was rosy.
"I went round and introduced myself," said Mr Gillman, 56.
"I told him we had a big surround sound TV that might be noisy and urged him to tell me if he ever had any problems with the noise, but he just shrugged it off and said it would be fine."
The two men became friendly, with Mr Gillman saying he helped Craig with menial tasks in the garden and other chores.
But it all blew up dramatically on March 12 this year.
"He had never complained to us, not once," Mr Gillman said. "We had previously tried to soundproof the walls but it hadn't worked, so we were ripping the plaster off and trying to do it again.
"I was also ripping out some coving when I heard a knock at the door.
"I opened it and he just lunged at me, grabbed me round the neck, telling me he was going to kill me. I couldn't believe it. It came out of nowhere, I was terrified."
Telford Magistrates Court heard Craig repeatedly swore and told his neighbour that no one else would put up with the noise he had been making when he attacked him at his home.
He told Mr Gillman he was "sick of all the drilling and banging" and that "no other resident on the estate would put up with it".
Craig pleaded guilty to one charge of assault by beating and another of using threatening words and behaviour when he appeared in court earlier this week.
He was given an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
He was also given a restraining order not to contact Mr Gillman.
The victim said: "I'm glad. I told the police I didn't want anything more to do with him, even if he wanted to apologise I didn't want to know.
"I just want to get on with my life now, it's been a very stressful time and it has affected my health."
Craig's solicitor said he had no previous convictions and said the attack was an "isolated incident".
