Scarborough man jailed for terrorising neighbour

A neighbour-from-hell has been jailed for 16 months after threatening to kill a mother-of-one, attacking a police sergeant and resisting arrest.
Andrew BeanlandAndrew Beanland
Andrew Beanland

Ex-soldier Andrew Beanland, whose life descended into chaos and criminality after being discharged from the Army in the late 1990s, was already on a restraining order when he harangued his neighbour to the extent that she had to leave home.

Beanland, 49, from Scarborough, was given strict instructions when Scarborough magistrates slapped him with the restraining order in November last year, but just a week later he was at it again, banging on her walls and “screaming and shouting”, York Crown Court heard.

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The former Green Howards infantry soldier appeared in court on Monday when he admitted breaching the restraining order. He had already admitted assaulting a police sergeant and

obstructing a police officer in the execution of their duty at a previous hearing.

A separate incident in which Beanland threatened a male and female neighbour was allowed to lie on file.

Prosecutor Michael Collins said Beanland’s next-door neighbour was on tenterhooks after he was given the original restraining order for “very similar” behaviour at the row of terraces in Roseberry Avenue, Scarborough.

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While banging on the adjoining internal walls of the terraced property, Beanland aimed a volley of foul-mouthed abuse at her and screamed: “Come round and I’ll kill you.”

The victim called police but when officers arrived “there was still banging and shouting”.

“(The victim) said she couldn’t cope with the situation and in fact it had pushed her that far that she moved the very next week,” added Mr Collins.

Beanland - who was remanded in custody and has since sold his house - assaulted a police sergeant inside his prison cell when the officer went to check on him

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“When (the officer) entered to check that he was okay, (Beanland) leapt up (and) punched (the police officer) to the face, causing reddening,” said Mr Collins.

In a separate incident, after tormenting other neighbours, Beanland “struggled with the handcuffs” as police tried to arrest him.

“He was putting his hands and arms to the front of his body, lying down on the floor and struggling,” added Mr Collins.

He said that Beanland had 12 previous convictions for 29 offences including affray, battery, harassment, criminal damage and assaulting police officers.

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Defence barrister Glen Parsons said Beanland’s main problems were alcohol and not taking his medication for seizures and “severe” mental-health issues.

Beanland had done three tours of Northern Ireland and worked for the Ministry of Defence. After being discharged from the Green Howards, he went on to serve as a guard at RAF Fylingdales.

Mr Parsons said Beanland had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his military career and had been supported by ex-servicemen’s charities.

But judge Sean Morris slammed the former soldier for his “poor” criminal record and his attacks on police officers.

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He told the defendant: “Police are doing their duty and you, as a former soldier, should respect that.”

Beanland was jailed for 16 months and ordered to pay the police sergeant he assaulted £250 in compensation. However, he will be released from jail in the very-near future because he had already served seven months on remand.

The judge also made a five-year restraining order banning Beanland from contacting the neighbours he had threatened.