A VETERAN pensioner drove his neighbours to distraction by playing the 60s hit We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place at all hours of the day and night.

Patrick Ryan played the song by The Animals over and over again and wrote notes to his neighbours when they complained about his behaviour.

Ryan, who had been in the Royal Air Force suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was ‘a professional and very educated man’, Worcester Magistrates Court heard.

But the 68-year-old, of Wedgberrow Close, Droitwich admitted two counts of harassment, one against David Harrington and the other against Mr Harrington’s daughter, when he appeared on Friday.

The harassment took place between October 2 and November 19.

Paul Hitchcock, prosecuting, said Ryan lived in a block of eight flats.

He said: “This issue goes back 12 months but has come to a head lately.

“He (Mr Harrington) has often had to speak to Mr Ryan about his playing music excessively loud at all periods of the day.

“Mr Harrington says he has tried to do so politely, to try and act as  peacemaker.

“This would generally work but they would also receive letters or notes through the door which he described as drunken rambling.

“When they approached Mr Ryan asking him to turn down the music they would get abusive notes. They had enough and had to report matters to the police.”

His actions also placed Ryan in breach of a suspended sentence for witness intimidation, imposed on July 25 (a 15 week sentence suspended for 12 months), which he admitted.

When asked by the magistrates about the contents of the notes Mr Hitchcock said they referred to ‘other neighbours being scum’ and said ‘why are you complaining about me?’ However, Mr Hitchcock said he had not been supplied with exact details of what all the notes contained.

Music was played at antisocial hours, including 5.15am in the morning which woke up his two neighbours.

Paul Stanley, defending, said the people in the flats lived in close proximity to one another and argued that it was ‘six of one and half a dozen of the other’ and ‘tit for tat’.

Mr Stanley said Ryan had initially been playing the music on headphones which did not cause any disturbance.

He said: “It all blew out of proportion.”

Mr Stanley said the music being played was the same song, “We Gotta Get Out of this Place”.

Mr Stanley said Ryan had been in the Royal Air Force and suffered deeply from post-traumatic stress disorder and was ‘a professional and very educated man’.

He added: “He’s going through a very acrimonious and expensive divorce.”

Mr Stanley said Ryan had been married to a woman from the Philippines and had been caught up in the super typhoon in 2013 in that country.

Ryan clearly had ‘a drink issue’ Mr Stanley told the court.

Magistrates issued a community order for 12 months with an alcohol treatment requirement of six months and rehabilitation requirement for 20 days. He was deemed physically unfit to carry out unpaid work.

The suspended sentence was also made more onerous, extended from a 12 month suspension to 18 months.

A restraining order was also granted in relation to the two people who had suffered form his harassment (with the exception of pre-arranged tenants meetings).

Ryan was also ordered to pay a £150 criminal court charge, an £80 victim surcharge, £105 costs and a £110 fine.

  • Listen to the song below.