Teacher accused of racial harassment of German neighbour

Geoffrey Butler, a teacher aged 54, has been accused of racially-aggravated harassment of his German neighbour, Reinhard Wendt, over a period of four years, including accusations of playing the Dambusters theme, White Cliffs of Dover. Rule of Britannia and other wartime songs loudly from his home and car. He has also been accused of broadcasting a Winston Churchill speech and making a Nazi salute to MR Wendt's wife Kathryn.

Mr Butler has been a teacher for 28 years and has denied the allegations - saying he comes from an RAF family and may occasionally play some of the music Mr Wendt has taken issue with. The neighbours are said to have gotten on well when Mr Wendt and his wife moved in to the village of Lower Upnor in 2007, however a dispute arose over a six feet long piece of land. A transfer of the strip of land to the Wendts had been agreed but then fell through, causing Mr Butler to accuse his neighbours of dishonesty and saying he had incurred a £256 legal bill. The relationship between the two home owners is said to have deteriorated quickly.

The case has been adjourned, but Mr Butler could face a two year prison sentence if found guilty.

If you find yourself involved in a dispute with your neighbour it is recommendable to try to resolve the matter as quickly and amicably as possible in order to avoid a protracted row that could escalate. Neighbours regularly fall out over issues such as fences, hedges, noise levels, car parking, and regularly things are allowed to get out of control, even resulting in physical violence. If efforts to solve a dispute have proved unsuccessful you may wish to contact a solicitor for legal advice to reach an agreement with your neighbour.

If you live in Northern Ireland and want to speak to a solicitor about a neighbour dispute, contact one of the dispute resolution solicitors at Wilson Nesbitt in Belfast or Bangor by calling 0800 840 9289.

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