A MAN who made his neighbours' lives hell with foul-mouthed outbursts in Ellesmere has been spared jail after breaching multiple criminal orders.

Stephen Wells, of Dudleston Hall Barns in Ellesmere, pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order, issued by Telford Magistrates Court in July this year, between August 2-8.

Having initially pleaded guilty in August, Wells – who was also ordered to pay compensation to pub staff he threatened to 'blow up' at a different hearing in the same month – changed his plea, which was accepted by magistrates.

The court heard that on three separate occasions on August 2, 7 and 8, Wells was heard or witnessed by neighbour Duncan Wardle shouting foul language among other outbursts, despite a criminal behaviour order prohibiting that.

The prosecution read out a statement from Mr Wardle, which said: "On August 2, Wells breached his order by shouting 'where's your f*****g golf club' and 'f*** off you f*****g t***'."

He added: "On August 7, I was at home with my wife who was informed Wells was outside shouting again.

"We didn’t hear this ourselves but a neighbour text me.

"It was around 9.30pm and I used my phone to check my CCTV camera in our garden and found three clips of him shouting 'Belfast Squaddies', 'Putin' and 'f****** fairies'.

"On other occasions he was shouting 'Commonwealth Games', 'UB40' and f****** p***ks.

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"I could hear him shouting – hearing it has distressed me and my family and I just want it to stop."

The prosecution said Wells' previous behaviour including shouting at Mr Wardle and raising his middle finger to him while other neighbours within the Dudleston Hall Barns community labelled him 'threatening and abusive' and that they 'lived in fear of him'.

Charlotte Gregory, defending, told the court that Wells accepted his behaviour caused distress but insisted his swearing and loud noise was not aimed at the Wardles, who live close to his property.

She added that as an ex-serviceman in Belfast during the Troubles, Wells was experiencing an emotional response because of seeing a report about the Ukraine war and may have undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Ms Gregory added: "It was not aimed at neighbours but he was enthusiastic about the Commonwealth Games’s closing ceremony.

"He is deaf and is loud and leaves windows and doors open because he smokes. He did not mean to cause stress."

The court also heard that Wells accepted he has a problem with alcohol but had been engaging with rehabilitation work and psychologists to address his issues.

A probation officer's report, presented verbally to court, recommended that Wells be allowed to continue that work with a new community order, while Mr Wardle also gave a victim impact statement calling for an end to his anti-social and abusive behaviour.

Magistrates jailed Wells for 12 weeks, reduced from 14, and suspended for 12 months, plus a new 12-month community order and he was ordered to pay £400 in costs and £154 victim surcharge.