 Muat broke his anti-social behaviour order three times |
A great-grandfather who made his neighbours' lives a misery has escaped jail, but has been warned he will be locked up if he offends again. Alexander Muat, 88, became the oldest person in the country to receive an anti-social behaviour order, which was imposed by magistrates in Merseyside.
The pensioner tormented his Huyton neighbours by filming, photographing, verbally abusing and threatening them.
On Monday, he was fined �750 and must pay �500 costs for breaching the ASBO.
The retired RAF engineer also deliberately blocked neighbours' drives with a wheelie bin smeared with grease.
A jury at Liverpool Crown Court last month convicted him of breaking the anti-social behaviour order on three occasions, twice by swearing at neighbours and once by threatening one with a chair leg.
Judge David Lynch said: "The only reason I'm not sending you to prison is because of your age. "You have made the lives of your neighbours miserable for some considerable time by your constant bad behaviour.
"The cumulative effect was having a detrimental effect on their quality of life.
"Any further breaches of this order are likely to result in a custodial sentence and your age will not save you."
'Peace and harmony'
Muat's bail conditions had prevented him living at home but he now plans to return.
Muat's solicitor Julian Linskill said his client was relieved his "ordeal" was over.
He added that Muat was not the sole cause of the neighbourhood tensions but now wanted to live in "peace and harmony".
He said: "He extends the hand of reconciliation towards them and he hopes this will be the end of the entire business."
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Any further breaches of this order are likely to result in a custodial sentence and your age will not save you 
