Alex Trelinski
A CATALUNYA man has been given a 15-month prison term and ordered to pay €18,000 compensation to his neighbours for blasting out electronic music at full volume- day and night- for at least five years.
A Mataro court also fined the man- named as Jordi F- €2,160 and banned him from any profession linked to electronic music.
One of his neighbours in El Masnou- north of Barcelona- suffered from insomnia resulting from the noise which required specialised medication.
Another person had their Alzheimer’s disease condition worsened due to anxiety caused by the high volume of electronic music pumping out from his home.
The man ignored regular complaints about the noise and the El Masnou Policia Local were called out several times between 2012 and 2017, without the defendant doing anything to turn down the volume.
El Masnou council issued a warning in October 2014 about noise pollution from his property, and residents of a near-by home launched a law suit against him in 2015, which was eventually heard and concluded this month.
Measurements showed the music blasted out at 57 decibels in daytime- 22 decibels above the limit- and reached 56 decibels at night- 26 above what was permitted.
Judge Lucía Aviles in her ruling said neighbours should be compensated for ‘the harm caused in changing their normal lifestyle and leaving them in a permanent state of anxiety’.
READ MORE:
- Quiet down! Spain’s ombudsman calls on major cities to do something about excessive noise levels
- Noise does pay
