A MAN claimed he was sleep- talking when he shouted abuse at his neighbour through the adjoining wall.

A lawyer for Michael Jones, 61, claimed he did not know what he was doing and was fast asleep in bed at the time.

Family and friends confirmed he would talk in his sleep and shout and swear after going to bed.

He would also sleep walk, they said.

A psychiatric report showed he had somniloquy, where people did sleep-talk, and a history of “nocturnal vocalisation”.

But magistrates convicted him of breaching a restraining order not to disturb his neighbour on three occasions.

Jones, described as a vulnerable man who did not give evidence in his own defence, was bailed pending sentence at Flintshire Magistrates Court at Mold.

They said complainant Valerie Tattum and her partner Mathew Adams had been extremely credible witnesses and a recording on her iPad showed he could clearly be heard swearing through the wall. It was not general abuse but directed at her, they said.

Magistrates said they were concerned about the quality and accuracy of a later recording produced by Jones’ lodger, and said they would have expected some background noises on the recording.

Witnesses had given evidence about him shouting in his sleep but there was no specific evidence about the nights he was charged with, they said.

The psychiatric report showed he was not confused, and the prosecution had not been able to cross-examine him about important issues including a claim he was in the porch shouting at his neighbour on one occasion.

John Wylde told how Jones, of Pen-y-nant, Bagillt, had been made the subject of an restraining order by Wrexham magistrates. But he breached it by shouting vile abuse at his neighbour through the adjoining wall.

Mr Wylde said Jones enjoyed shouting at people when he was angry or in drink.

It had been deliberate and intentional, he said, and claimed his sleep problems were “a smokescreen”.

He had been unable to challenge Jones about the claim he was in his porch drinking beer when the abuse occurred.

Miss Tattum told how the former good neighbour and friend had subjected her to abuse through the wall repeatedly.

It was distressing and she recorded some of it on her iphone and played it to the court.

Jones denied three breaches of the restraining order, imposed in February of last year, on January 17, 19 and 24.

His solicitor Davies Matthews said Jones suffered brain damage in a childhood accident and he was not in control of his actions when he shouted out vile abuse.

Mr Matthews asked magistrates not to hold against him the fact that he had not given evidence. He was a vulnerable man who relied on his police interview.

But magistrates said the police interview was confused and did not cover a number of important issues.

Darren Imra Kidd, his lodger and friend who sleeps on his couch, produced a recording of Jones shouting in his sleep and said it was something he did it often. He said the recording was made when Jones was asleep in his bedroom.

Sister-in-law Hilary Jones said he had stayed a few weeks with her and would sleep talk. It was a mumble, quite loud, although she could not make out what he was saying, she explained.

A friend Betty Thomas, 70, said he was now bailed to her address and he was “effing and jeffing” in his sleep. It was muddled, she said, when he used vulgar, rude words, but in the morning he did not know he had done it.

l Somniloquy or sleep-talking is a parasomnia that refers to talking aloud while asleep. It can be quite loud, ranging from simple mumbling sounds to loud shouts and long frequently inarticulate speeches, and can occur many times during a sleep cycle.