Well folks, its getting close to the time when I can reveal all about my psychotic neighbour and his attempt to blackmail both me, and the neighbour on the other side of him. Police bail expired on 30th August, but as the CPS is running with a backlog of prospective cases he has been bailed gain for a month. I won't publish the letter just yet, at least not until we have a clear picture of what actions are blocked and what are open and when I do it will be doctored to remove my real name......however I will be leaving his name on it for all to see. I will also be adding some other known facts about his past history that are a matter of documented fact.
The omens however are not looking good. I have a feeling that the CPS will mark the case "NFA" (no further action) because although they review a number of factors the primary one appears to be cost. That's right, they will only take a case forward if it is financially viable, in as much as they are virtually guaranteed a conviction that warrants the financial outlay of solicitors and lawyers. You might think a signed letter asking for money with menaces is a banker for conviction, especially when he has admitted writing the letters...but apparently the law is a very convoluted and complex beast with huge numbers of get out caveats. It is these that will probably see any potential case dropped.
Our options beyond this are then limited as a civil case is likely to be financially prohibitive for both aggrieved parties, plus civil law only works on the "balance of probabilities" and the other neighbours investigations have led to a firm view that the balance is only 55/45 in their favour. Admittedly some of the allegations made against them by PsychoNeighbour have a small amount of truth in them, albeit much exaggerated and aimed at the wrong culprits, but NONE of what he's accused us of is true. Another option might be to report the behaviour to Social Services and hope that they can class him as mentally unstable, but initial enquiries seem to indicate that to be classed as this, you have to be registered as mentally ill...a kind of Catch-22, I mean how do you get this raised as a possible issue with the relevant Mental Health bodies? The worst case scenario is that he will get away with this scot free.
We may have no recourse to the law, criminally or civilly, and we may not even be able to pursue a route down having him classed as mentally unstable. Amazing isn't it? Someone can vindictively write malicious and defamatory letters to people, threatening their jobs, livelihoods, social position and make veiled threats against their children whilst demanding thousands of pounds in order to keep quiet and yet you, as the recipient cannot seek any form of justice. Land of Dope and Moron anyone? The law it seems, really is an ass. When decent ordinary people like me and the other neighbours live in fear and worry and nothing is done is it any wonder we look to leaving this country behind?
25 years ago I would have happily dished out my own form of justice in the shape of a damn good hiding or some well focussed criminal damage, but I'm a bit more grown up now. Don't get me wrong..I am very tempted to the route of violence or vandalism, especially if ,as we suspect, he follows up the likely CPS cop out with a nasty solicitors letter to us claiming harassment. In that event I may not be able to control myself. In this worst case scenario it seems I have the only following options.
1.) Violence - taking the Israeli attitude that sometimes its the only thing that makes them listen
2.) Go to the local press and see if we can get this published
3.) Retaliate with a hate campaign of junk mail, fake taxi bookings etc
4.) Write a similar blackmail letter back in the knowledge that apparently fuck all will happen to me other than a bit of police bail.
5.) Ignore the whole event and live in fear of what happens next and what he's watching us do.
Another point is this....the other people lost the sale of their house after declaring the letter they received. Hardly surprising is it? Would you want to move next to someone who writes such hate mail? Would you want to live next to someone who purports to have sophisticated surveillance devices watching and listening to your every move? Would you want to live next door to someone who watches your children and their friends? I think I know what the answer is there Even if we ignore him and live in stony silence, never acknowledging his existence or presence, what is the statute of limitations on such "disputes". If we sell up in 5 years would I still have to declare the letter to a potential buyer then? It seems that my signature phrase has never been truer.
"In other words, its a huge shit sandwich, and we're all gonna have to take a bite"
Later, BoilingJack
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