Teenage girls put me through hell


13 August 2005 11:32

A long-running neighbourhood quarrel ended up in court with an innocent 70-year-old man accused of hurling racist abuse at a teenage girl.

Fredrick Turvey told Norwich magistrates he had endured taunts and insults from two teenage girls for 18 months and yet it was he who ended up facing charges.

The girls accused Mr Turvey of losing his temper and swearing at them after they threw snoballs at his first floor flat in Tunstall Close, Bowthorpe, on February 23.

But magistrates said the girl evidence lacked credibility and they cleared Mr Turvey of racially aggravated disorderly conduct and disorderly conduct.

Announcing the courts' decision, chairman Robert Price told Mr Turvey: “There has been a history of bad feeling. It is not in dispute that the girls had used bad language and insults to you on previous occasions.

“Looking at the girls' evidence their versions of events differ significantly from one another.

“Your evidence, from start to finish, was more credible.”

Mr Turvey, a former lorry driver, said told the magistrates he had suffered “all sorts of hassle” at the hands of Whitney Bullard and Kayleigh Alden, both 14.

He also told the court he even had bricks thrown through his window, but did not say who he believed was responsible for that.

Giving evidence by a court video link, Miss Alden alleged Mr Turvey swore at Miss Bullard and said why didn't she go back to her “own country”.

She agreed that she had called him lots of names in the past, including swearing at him and saying he was bald and fat.

Miss Bullard said that they saw Mr Turvey again shortly afterwards, when he had been shouting at them for throwing snowballs.

But her friend said they did not see him again that day.

Mr Turvey said there was “no way” he had sworn or made the racist comments or gesture alleged.

All he said, after the snowballs were thrown, was that he was going to ring the police.

Speaking after the court hearing yesterday, Mr Turvey, who lives with his 14-year-old daughter, said he had been suffering problems for the past 18 months.

“It all started because the two girls that took me to court used to come round mine to see my daughter,” he said.

He claimed problems started after he banned them from the house because they had been causing trouble.

He said: “They give me so much hell it's unbelievable. I've had hell and its making me sick.”

He said he had other problems with people trying to put dirt through his cat flap and smearing chips on his car.

“I've got to get out of here - I've tried, but I'm in arrears with my rent and I've got to pay that up before I can go,” said Mr Turvey, who moved to Bowthorpe from Grimston, near King's Lynn.

“They are all young round here and I feel I'm picked on because I'm old,” he said.

“I've suffered a lot - I've had a lot of hassle,” said Mr Turvey.

Yesterday Kayleigh's mother, Kerry, 32, said she was “not very happy” that Mr Turvey was cleared.

Whitney's mum Chanelle Bullard, 41, said: “I'm disgusted with the justice system. You go through all that for what? I think the justice system stinks, I really do.”

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