Councillor charged with harassing neighbours

Sep 5 2008 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

A CITY councillor has denied harassing his next-door neighbours by using verbal and abusive gestures towards them.

Max Drury, 61, of Clifford Drive, Chester, appeared before city magistrates on Wednesday when he pleaded not guilty to pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of David and Margaret Evans and their son Daniel.

Numerous incidents are alleged to have taken place between May 1 and July 13 this year.

Prosecutors will call all three members of the Evans family and another neighbour, Kathleen Bellis, as witnesses, along with three police officers, when Drury is tried next month.

Anne Rouse, prosecuting, said there was the potential for a “bad character” application to be served which applies when an individual has been convicted of a similar offence in the past.

Ceri Evans, defending, described the case as “a neighbour dispute” and said she would be calling four witnesses from a list of 10 she had been given.

She said her client had made his own calls to police and issued solicitors’ letters to the neighbours.

Miss Evans said the crux of the defence case would be that the allegations were “grossly exaggerated”.

A trial will take place at Chester Magistrates Court on Monday, October 27. Drury was released on bail on condition he does not contact the Evans family or Kathleen Bellis.