By Patrick LowmanA MAN who terrorised a housing estate is facing a prison sentence if he breaches a strict court order served against him.Karl Roberts, 19, plagued residents on a Great Cornard housing estate with his anti-social behaviour, including abuse directed at residents in the Lindsey Court area and staff at the Colchester Quaker Housing Association.

By Patrick Lowman

A MAN who terrorised a housing estate is facing a prison sentence if he breaches a strict court order served against him.

Karl Roberts, 19, plagued residents on a Great Cornard housing estate with his anti-social behaviour, including abuse directed at residents in the Lindsey Court area and staff at the Colchester Quaker Housing Association.

Roberts, previously of Great Cornard, who now lives at a caravan park in Stowmarket, also created a nuisance by shouting and arguing with his partner and playing loud music.

Babergh District Council decided to take action against Roberts after his behaviour left his neighbours feeling harassed, alarmed and distressed.

He was issued with a three-year anti-social behaviour order by St Edmundsbury magistrates yesterday and was warned he could face up to five years in prison if he breached it.

Under the order Roberts is banned from entering a large part of Great Cornard, primarily the housing estate around the Lindsey Court area.

He is also prohibited from approaching any witness or complainant involved in the case or any person employed at Lindsey Court or by the Colchester Quaker Housing Association.

Roberts is further banned from behaving, or encouraging others to behave anywhere in England or Wales, in a manner that is likely to cause nuisance, harassment, alarm or distress.

This includes using threatening, abusive or insulting words in public or engaging in conduct likely to place any person in fear of their safety or the safety of their property.

Karen Trickey, head of Babergh District Council's legal and administrative services, said: “We are pleased at the outcome of the case and hope that it serves as a warning to others who behave in a threatening or abusive manner.

“Karl Roberts has caused considerable distress to a number of Babergh residents, particularly in the Great Cornard area, and we sincerely hope that their lives will be made easier by the granting of this anti-social behaviour order.

“As a district council, we will not tolerate the type of behaviour displayed by Karl Roberts. To assist with the enforcement of the order, it is essential that the community report any breaches to the police or the local authority.

“We will continue to work closely with the police and members of the public to clear the menace of anti-social behaviour from our streets.”

patrick.lowman@eadt.co.uk