Man gets 20 weeks in jail for whistling

Published: Feb. 13, 2009 at 7:15 PM

WINGERWORTH, England, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A Wingerworth, England, man has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison after he repeatedly whistled the theme to "The Addams Family" TV show at his neighbors.

Leopold Wrobel, 51, was convicted of violating an antisocial behavior order directing him to cease whistling the tune at neighbors Michael and Kathleen Sharpe. Magistrates at a Chesterfield, England, court also found him guilty of two counts of harassment, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

Prosecutor Michael Treharne said Wrobel's behavior may seem silly "but if something happens on an on-going basis and goes on and on and on, eventually it reaches the stage of being absolutely intolerable."

Kathleen Sharpe, 66, told the court Wrobel was always waiting with his whistling whenever she left her house.

"I'm so relieved, it's been an absolute nightmare. It's affected our health and all the family," she said after the sentencing.

Wrobel claimed he was not the perpetrator and only whistled at his dog, but closed-circuit TV footage shown to the court depicted him repeatedly whistling when the couple left their house or arrived home.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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