Man charged with killing neighbour's fish by adding detergent to pond

An English resident faces accusations of killing his neighbour's fish using detergent over a disagreement concerning pond noise.

On Tuesday (April 14), Gerry Duffy attended Willesden Magistrates' Court in London, contesting accusations of tossing motor oil from his window into a pond owned by his neighbour Andrea Ptohides, as reported by the PA Media news agency, according to The Independent.

Duffy had voiced previous concerns about the noise emanating from the pond in Ptohides' yard because they share a boundary in the London area of Barnet, according to the UK newspaper The Telegraph.

Prosecutors explained that Duffy had “threatened to address the issue himself” if the neighbor didn't act, as the noise affected his ability to sleep, reported by the local news outlet LBC.

Duffy maintains his innocence concerning all four accusations, including illegally destroying fish and causing property damage on three counts, as per LBC, The Independent, and The Telegraph.

Reports say that on March 20, Duffy supposedly threw oil into the pond, causing harm. A few days later, the pond's water pipes were discovered severed.

Ptohides reviewed surveillance tape and reportedly observed Duffy entering his garden the same day, according to the reports.

On March 26, Ptohides claimed he found three of his carp lifeless in the pond and suspected detergent was poured into it, as per the reports.

Ptohides checked the camera footage again and asserts seeing Duffy in his garden between 2.32am and 3.08am on that day, the reports indicated.

Duffy refutes all charges against him, and he was granted conditional bail, according to PA Media, LBC, and The Telegraph.

He is scheduled for trial at Willesden Magistrates' Court in London on August 4, the reports stated.