I am satisfied that the misery spoken of is real

Sheriff David Smith

In a judgement issued on Wednesday, Sheriff David Smith said he was satisfied that the inconvenience caused to neighbours was "substantial and more than is tolerable in a quiet, peaceful location, in which most of them have chosen to live because of these qualities".

"I am satisfied that the misery spoken of is real."

Residents told a civil hearing at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court that their lives were disrupted by the hundreds of people who came to see the lights.

But Mr Rowlands accused his neighbours of exaggerating the extent of the problems.

Family Christmas

The court heard on Monday that in previous years the house has also featured illuminated chiming figurines in the garden and a large sleigh on a nearby lampost.

Mr Rowlands told the hearing that he was simply trying to enjoy Christmas with his family.

"What I do is put up the lights and I just enjoy them and put them away afterwards," he said.

He said neighbours had "exaggerated" the extent to which his decorations had affected the community.

David and Emma Rowlands at their home

"The inconvenience to my neighbours was very small," he said.

"I try to be a good neighbour... but my neighbours are constantly complaining about everything I do."

Neil MacKenzie, counsel for the neighbours, put it to Mr Rowlands that he was trying to impose his version of Christmas on his neighbours, bringing them "misery at Christmas and inconvenience rather than peace".

But Mr Rowlands said: "I am not the only person in Great Britain who uses Christmas lights, but I'm the only one standing in court here defending my rights."

Avril Neil, who has lived in the cul-de-sac for four years, told the court of a "constant flow" of up to 60 cars an hour while the decorations were in place.

Joyriders attracted

She complained she had been kept awake on one occasion due to the noise of traffic and people walking up to Mr Rowlands' house.

Mrs Neil said the lights brought notoriety to the road and attracted joyriders.

And Dr Dunstan Arokianathan, a general practitioner who lives opposite Mr Rowlands, told the court the decorations made the street "a bit like Sauchiehall Street" in the centre of Glasgow.

"You feel like a prisoner in your own house," he said.