AN unemployed builder who repeatedly plagued his neighbour by playing loud dance music has esaped fines of tens of thousands of pounds after pleading poverty.

Paul Williams, 37, was facing up to £30,000 for admitting breaching noise abatement orders but instead was handed a three-year conditional discharge by Fareham magistrates.

Williams, of Elms Road, Fareham, was appearing in court on six counts of causing an environmental nuisance and breaching a noise abatement order between November 2001 and February this year.

He also admitted failing to pay a £1,500 fine he had been given for a previous noise abatement prosecution dating back to December 2001 for which he could have been handed a jail term.

The court heard how Williams had failed to pay off the debt despite selling a motorbike for £1,900 earlier this year.

Magistrate David Smith said: "What the bench cannot understand is that £1,900 came into his possession and he chose to spend it elsewhere."

Williams, who has lived in his semi-detached home for 15 years, was given the conditional discharge after claiming his building business had folded due to his inability to work because of a broken leg, leaving him with virtually no income.

The £1,900 was used, it was claimed by mitigating solicitor Daniel Riley, to pay off other debts.

At a previous hearing magistrates were told how Williams had caused his neighbour Chris Savage to contact Fareham council's environmental nuisance team after repeatedly being woken up by loud dance music at all hours of the night.

Environmental health officer in charge of the case Karen Brett said: "Officers were called out to Mr Savage's property several times and on one occasion the wall was actually vibrating with the noise from the stereo on the other side of the wall.

"It is quite remarkable that these complaints have been going on for a year and despite a previous court hearing the defendant hasn't stopped."

Williams was served with an abatement order last February after several written warnings from the council to tone the music down.

He first appeared before magistrates in December when he was fined for breaching the order.

But at a hearing in April he admitted to breaching the order four more times.

Yesterday the court heard how Williams had been unable to work as a self-employed builder since he broke his leg earlier in the year and so had no way of paying the fines.

Magistrates decided to hand Williams with a three year conditional discharge for the offences, order that he pay the costs of the case - £673 - and issued a distress warrant for the outstanding fines so that if they were not paid Williams would be forced to face magistrates again.