A teacher who was found guilty of harassing his neighbours after a bitter dispute over a garden fence has lost an appeal against his conviction. 

Kenneth O’Connor, 59, and his wife previously enjoyed a good relationship with their next-door neighbours Syzmon and Dominika Manka, exchanging Christmas cards and inviting each other to garden parties. 

However, a court heard that their relationship soured in 2020 when the Mankas tried to install a new garden fence, which Mr O’Connor claims crossed the boundary line onto his property. 

Tensions grew between the neighbours on Orchard Road, Welling, and on one occasion police were called after a “scuffle” broke out between Mr O’Connor and Mr Manka. 

Both sides repeatedly made allegations about each other to police, who attempted to mediate in the dispute. 

After a voluntary police interview Mr O’Connor was charged with harassing Mr and Mrs Manka, and he was found guilty of harassment in May last year. 

On Friday (May 26) the engineering teacher appeared at Woolwich Crown Court to appeal against his conviction. 

Giving the case against Mr O’Connor, barrister Janaka Siriwardena said his behaviour was “irrational and at times spiteful and nasty”. 

The court heard that on multiple occasions Mr O’Connor removed fence panels that his neighbours had erected. 

As a result of hostilities between the families, the Mankas installed a CCTV camera which overlooked their neighbour's garden. 

Mr O’Connor was seen shining a light at the camera late at night and putting his middle finger up at it, while on another occasion he is said to have stood in the rain for six minutes looking at his neighbour’s house. 

“These actions were designed by the appellant to let the Mankas know not only that he knew they were watching, but that he didn’t care,” Miss Recorder A Russell said. 

One morning Mr Manka approached Mr O’Connor who was in his car about to leave for work, asking him where his building materials had gone. 

Mr O’Connor told him to “f*** off” then when Mr Manka cycled away he revved his engine behind him then performed a close and speedy overtake. The incident was caught on camera by Mr Manka. 

“This driving was done in a manner to cause Mr Manka distress, and it did do so,” the judge said. 

Mr O’Connor later installed a CCTV camera of his own. The Mankas claimed this shone a light directly into their young daughter’s bedroom meaning she had to sleep in their room instead. 

The Mankas claimed that Mr O’Connor’s actions left them and their daughter feeling threatened, unsafe and anxious. 

“Clearly, this was not a one-off incident but a campaign of frankly unacceptable behaviour from a man who should really know better,” Mr Siriwardena said. 

Mr O’Connor denied driving dangerously near Mr Manka and said that when he put his middle finger up to the CCTV he was just trying to gauge the camera’s field of view. 

“Mr O’Connor telling Mr Manka to f*** off, essentially ‘leave me alone’, then driving off cannot amount to harassment,” said barrister Jason Lartey who represented Mr O’Connor. 

Mr O’Connor claims that the dispute actually started when he trimmed a jasmine bush in his garden, which he said annoyed Mrs Manka. 

Police reports were made by both sides, but Mr O’Connor said his reports were ignored and that police failed to look at the bigger picture in the dispute. 

He described the Mankas as “vindictive”, saying: “What happened was they went about harassing me, so that they could get me for criminal harassment.” 

After hearing both sides of the argument Miss Recorder A Russell and magistrates Desmond Niimoi and Christina Wheeler upheld Mr O’Connor’s conviction. 

A restraining order preventing Mr O’Connor from contacting either Mr or Mrs Manka remains in place until 2027. 

Mr O’Connor was also ordered to pay £1,000 in costs following his appeal.