A 50-year-old man from St Paul's Bay, Christopher Galea, was found guilty on Tuesday of harassing his downstairs neighbours.

The harassment happened through a "systematic" campaign of noise and prolonged renovation work lasting over six months.

The neighbours, a couple with a young child, submitted a total 12 copybook pages documenting the dates and times of disturbances. They also submitted a pendrive and a printout of Galea's work timesheets from two different jobs.

The wife testified that during one of the incidents 6 May 2024, she and her husband were helping their autistic daughter with homework, a task that sometimes required them to raise their voices, when Galea reacted by banging three times on his floor (their ceiling) with a chair.

She described this as "the final straw," noting that while they had been patient with his ongoing renovations, the patience was not reciprocated.

The victims alleged the harassment was "systematic".

According to the victims, Galea would drag chairs or whistle directly above them whenever he noticed a light on in the spare bedroom, apparently knowing someone was inside.

Galea, who works full-time and also holds a part time job, admitted to carrying out a total bathroom renovation by himself.

He acknowledged the project stretched from February to late August 2024, saying he had "taken it easy" during the process and adding that Maltese houses are built in such a way that even slight noise can be heard throughout the building.

The court criticised his self-serving attitude, implying that as long as his own needs were met, he was indifferent to others.

Magistrate Vella noted that Galea worked "little and often," including on weekends, public holidays, and even the feast of Santa Marija, which prolonged the neighbours' suffering.

Despite being officially warned by the Qawra police on 10 May 2024, Galea continued his work, claiming he felt the project "had to be done" and that "everyone else makes noise".

The court applied the principle of the "bonus pater familias" (the reasonable person), saying that a responsible individual would have finished the work as quickly as possible or communicated with neighbours to avoid peak study times for their child.

Galea was found guilty of harassment, with the court noting he ought to have realised his behaviour was causing suffering, particularly after the police warning.

He was acquitted of charges relating to night-time noise, as the prosecution could not prove it was he, rather than his wife, who had caused those disturbances.

Another charge concerning loud music from amplifiers was also dismissed, as the law cited referred to musical instruments rather than construction tools, which were the source of the noise in this case.

Galea was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.

The court also issued a one-year Protection Order prohibiting him from approaching the victims.

Lawyer Marcus Ciantar appeared for the parte-civile.