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A fearful neighbour has been convicted of stalking after installing cameras to spy on a couple.
Matthew Kenyon’s nickname is “Big Brother‘ He then became obsessed with neighbours Kelly and Rachel Styles and installed CCTV cameras to monitor their movements.
The Stiles family lived next door to him but a strong wind caused their car door to swing outwards unexpectedly, hitting 36-year-old Kenyon’s car and they started arguing.
A dispute over the cost of repairing the car sparked a six-year feud that ultimately led to the Styles family moving out in 2023.
Kenyon, who lived next door to the couple on the ironically named Pleasants Street in Widnes, Cheshire, became obsessed with them, writing horrific emails on an almost daily basis, making false complaints about them and even investigating their visitors in an attempt to get them to leave.
Kenyon sent a letter to a Roman Catholic primary school where Mrs Stiles worked as a teaching assistant, falsely claiming that Mrs Stiles and her husband were hanging out with “significant cocaine users”.
Ms Styles, who suffers from cancer, was subject to two official protection investigations after being framed for the offences but has kept her job after officials found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Kenyon also reported Mr Styles to the local council and police when he discovered he had unknowingly employed a convicted rapist as his worker.
When her husband learned of the worker’s background, who had been convicted of rape, he sacked him – but he was still forced to back out of a £3,500 renovation project. The couple eventually moved out of their house in October last year.
When questioned by police, Kenyon was found to have a spreadsheet recording his neighbors’ activities, and he also claimed to have seen the Styles family buy drugs from the bartender.
He even slipped a letter on Stiles’ doorstep saying he had reported them to the DMV because the MOT certificate on one of their cars had expired.
Kenyon denied guilt but was found guilty of stalking at Warrington Magistrates Court. He was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid labour under the terms of a restraining order and banned from contacting the victim for five years.
In 2017, after Kenyon’s race car was damaged in an accident, the Styles began arguing with Kenyon over the cost of repairs.
Mr Styles was reported after he was caught verbally abusing people on several occasions and even spraying bleach on a BMW.
In 2022, Mr Styles was convicted of harassment, fined £160 and required to abide by a six-month “acceptable behaviour contract” drawn up by Halton Housing, which rents the property.
But Kenyon then sent numerous complaints about the Styleses to various agencies in a malicious attempt to get them to leave.
Mrs Styles said in a statement: “I am undergoing treatment for cancer which has only added to my stress and anxiety.
“When he attacked me I was very depressed so I have been taking antidepressants and have been in counselling to try and deal with the problem.
“I felt low in self-esteem and at one point I told my counsellor it would be better if I wasn’t here anymore. I have a very supportive husband but this put a huge strain on our relationship.
“On top of the paranoia I was having, I was also unable to sleep at night for fear that further issues would arise and Matthew was still keeping an eye on the address.
“At work, I also worried about colleagues talking about me, and I would panic when my manager wanted to talk to me.
“Even though we’ve moved, I still sometimes feel like I’m at my old address and worry about what problems that might cause. I feel like I’m always looking over my shoulder when I’m shopping and I’m always looking out the window.
“I found myself having to check outside before going to bed to make sure Matthew wasn’t standing outside my house watching me.
“I didn’t like myself right now. I found myself sometimes withdrawing from my friends and no longer turning to them for support. I felt vulnerable and had lost my confidence.”
Mr Styles said in his victim statement: “I have been suffering from anxiety and depression as a result of this constant surveillance and I have been worried about the impact this has had on my partner.
“She had just recovered from cancer surgery and the extra stress was having an adverse effect on her and I was worried about her.
“I don’t want to move, but we have no choice but to continue our lives without the fear of being watched by our neighbours all the time.”
In evidence, Kenyon denied deliberately pointing CCTV cameras at the Styles’ house but said he was advised by the council and police to compile a log of incidents after Mr Styles’ conviction.
His attorney, Vic Wozniacki, said: “My client has done nothing wrong since Stiles moved out. There have never been any complaints against the other neighbors, and there have been no complaints against him.”
“The court can be assured that this person will not cause any trouble to anyone in the future.”
But sentencing Judge Christine Pugh told Kenyon: “You are not to contact them in any way. If you happen to see them, cross the road. If you breach that rule, you will be back in court again.”
Please contact our press team by email at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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