The dad’s ’emotions got the better of him’ over the long-running issue and he also threatened to cut the victim’s ears off
Peter Lesko was jailed at Hull Crown Court(Image: Humberside Police)
A hardworking family man who suffered the nightmare of very loud music being regularly played by his neighbour “completely lost it” one night and went “berserk” during a “prolonged and determined” knife attack on the other man. Food factory worker Peter Lesko finally reached his “breaking point” and climbed through an open kitchen window into his neighbour’s home before repeatedly punching and stabbing him.
He warned the neighbour: “You will die tonight” after grabbing a knife. The unsuspecting man had fallen asleep while listening to loud music but woke up to find himself being punched, Hull Crown Court heard.
Lesko, 48, formerly of Broadley Close, east Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted wounding the man with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on October 25. He denied attempted murder and that charge was dropped by the prosecution.
Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said that Lesko and the other man were neighbours at a semi-detached property at the time. There had previously been problems between them.
The neighbour was at home, relaxing after work, enjoying a drink and listening to “moderately loud” music after midnight. Lesko telephoned the police to report this. After 1am, another man telephoned the police to say that he thought a robbery was taking place at his neighbour’s home.
Police attended through a rear patio door and found Lesko’s neighbour injured. The victim had been sleeping on a sofa when Lesko entered the house and confronted him. He grabbed the man by his hair, smashed his head onto the ground, threatened to cut his ears off and told him: “You will die tonight.”
The man said that he had been asleep but he was awoken by Lesko “going berserk” and punching him in the face. Lesko stabbed him numerous times with a knife from the victim’s kitchen and also hit him with a speaker, which broke in two.
Lesko continued to kick and punch the man as well as throw bits of the speaker at him. “The man managed to escape upstairs and lock himself in his bedroom,” said Miss Stuart-Lofthouse.
Lesko followed him and tried to smash the door down before returning downstairs and throwing items around. He was arrested at his own home at 1.45am.
The victim was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary. He had suffered two wounds to the back of his right arm as well as lower back and forearm injuries.
He later said: “This incident has made me feel scared to go back to my home. You never expect your neighbour to behave in such a way. I no longer feel safe in my address.
“I feel unsafe and isolated. I feel I was lucky to survive with my life.” He could not at first return to his work as a joiner but he later did so, on light duties.
David McGonigal, mitigating, said that “everyone has a breaking point” and Lesko “lost it” because of the neighbour regularly playing loud music. His young son could not sleep, vibrations went through the living room and Lesko had to turn his TV up so he could hear it.
“The music went on into the early hours,” said Mr McGonigal. “He describes the music as being unbearable.” An earlier occupant of the house found the loud music a nightmare” and claimed that the neighbour went on “two or three-day benders”.
The neighbour was “unapproachable” and Lesko’s daughter was regularly woken up. “He tried to reason with his neighbour initially by going round and speaking to him,” said Mr McGonigal. “That didn’t work.”
The police spoke to the man on October 19 and they gave him words of advice. The neighbour was dismissive. “Clearly, that didn’t have any effect because the music continued to be played loudly,” said Mr McGonigal.
“The defendant rang up the council on a number of occasions to seek help for them.” On the night of the incident, he telephoned the police and was advised to speak to the council. The music continued as well as shouting and he again rang the police.
“Against that background, he then went round,” said Mr McGonigal. “He was banging on the door initially and the window initially to try to get the complainant to speak to him.
“Unfortunately, his emotions got the better of him and he chose to go into the house, which he did through an open kitchen window. He accepts being aggressive.”
The neighbour was in the living room. Lesko took a knife from the man’s kitchen. “He accepts using that knife,” said Mr McGonigal. “Thankfully, the injuries were not too serious.”
Lesko, his wife and children had moved out of the house to a different home but they still had it and were renting it out. He had no previous convictions, had shown remorse and he was a hard-working family man.
Lesko, from Slovakia, had worked at a food company for about 20 years and he was highly regarded. Judge John Thackray KC said that Lesko suffered a “high level of provocation” from very loud music being played and it had a significant and substantial impact on him and his family.
“Eventually, you lost your temper and launched a prolonged and determined attack upon your victim,” said Judge Thackray. Lesko “just completely lost it” during the attack.
“The injuries were bad but they could have been so much worse,” said Judge Thackray. “Your attack has had a profound attack upon your victim.”
Lesko was jailed for two years and four months. He was given a five-year restraining order.
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