A former BBC employee has been jailed after making his neighbours' lives a misery by repeatedly howling - like a wolf.

Patrick Simpson, 65, kept families near his terraced Folkestone home up all night by howling, shouting and swearing in the early hours.

Magistrates convicted Simpson of two harassment offences in 2011 and he was slapped with a restraining order banning him from contacting his immediate neighbours.

But Simpson, of The Bayles, admitted breaching the order in February and April this year and has now been jailed for 120 days at Canterbury Crown Court.

Judge Nigel Van Der Bijl told Simpson: "Each time you come before a court the sentence will get higher and higher. When you come out of prison pull yourself together."

Jim Harvey, prosecuting, told the court: "Throughout the early part of April every night from 1am Simpson was banging on the walls and floors and howling and making animal-like noises.

"On April 20 one of his neighbours was woken at 2.30am by abusive shouting, swearing and howling. He felt no option other than to contact the police again.

"This neighbour said he was at the end of his tether and could not go on living like this at his own address.

"He said he was so tired he couldn't work properly. The other neighbour said the same.

"She said she had had problems from Simpson for eight years and he had made her life a misery."

Mr Harvey said for some of this time the neighbour's husband had been terminally ill.

Speaking after the case, the victim revealed Simpson would often howl like a wolf during a new moon.

The female neighbour said: "His behaviour was appalling and quite scary. He would howl like a wolf for about 10 minutes at night and strangely that would happen during a new moon.

"I don't know why he did that. It was as if he was in pain, but I think he had a drink problem. There would be bottles of port, sherry and cider put out with his rubbish.

"He would make noise all day and into the night, sometimes as late as 3 or 4am.

"He would howl like a wolf for about 10 minutes at night and strangely that would happen during a new moon..." - Patrick Simpson's neighbour

"Mostly it was shouting and swearing within his own house, talking to himself.

"We knew he was on his own in there, but he would change his voice as if there was another person there talking back.

"He didn't usually disturb us with loud music but once he played Dusty Springfield loud a 1.30am and that was the first time my late husband went to speak to him."

The woman, who did not want to be named, had endured the trouble for eight years and during that time also had to deal strain of her husband suffering terminal cancer.
He died in 2009.

She added: "Police were called to his house frequently. He would know we had called them and he would be verbally abusive to use when he saw us in the street.

"Once my husband and I came back from a trip to France and he was abusive and said we should go an live in France.

"Once my husband lost his temper and threw a bucket of cold water over him from our balcony. That kept him quiet for that night."

John FitzGerald, defending, told the court: "I recognise how his neighbours must have felt. Simpson was a hard-working person at the BBC and had never been in trouble until 2011.

"His behaviour is bizarre and eccentric but it is not directly directed at his neighbours.

"Alcohol has played a part in his life for a long time. He has in mind to put his house on the market and has been in custody since April 22 so has done enough time in prison."

Simpson was sentenced to 120 days in prison, but because of time already served he will be released after 10 days. The restraining order remains.