A devoted family man tormented by consistently blaring music from next door "completely snapped" one evening and launched a "frenzied" assault during a "sustained and deliberate" knife attack on his neighbour.
Factory operative Peter Lesko ultimately hit his "tipping point" and clambered through an unlocked kitchen window into his neighbour's property before repeatedly striking and stabbing him.
He threatened the neighbour: "You will die tonight" after seizing a knife. The unsuspecting victim had dozed off whilst listening to loud music but awoke to discover himself being punched, Hull Crown Court was told.
Lesko, 48, previously of Broadley Close, east Hull, but lately held in custody on remand, pleaded guilty to wounding the man with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on 25 October. He denied attempted murder and the Crown dropped that charge.
Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said that Lesko and the victim were neighbours at a semi-detached house at the time. There had been earlier difficulties between them.
The neighbour was at his residence, unwinding after his shift, having a drink and playing "moderately loud" music past midnight. Lesko rang the police to report this, reports Hull Live.
After 1am, another individual contacted the police to report that he suspected a burglary was occurring at his neighbour's property. Officers gained entry via a rear patio door and discovered Lesko's neighbour suffering from injuries.
The victim had been asleep on a sofa when Lesko burst into the property and confronted him. He seized the man by his hair, slammed his head against the floor, threatened to sever his ears and declared: "You will die tonight."
The man explained that he had been sleeping but was woken by Lesko "going berserk" and striking him in the face. Lesko repeatedly stabbed him with a blade taken from the victim's own kitchen and also struck him with a speaker, which shattered into pieces.
Lesko proceeded to kick and punch the man whilst also hurling fragments of the speaker at him. "The man managed to escape upstairs and lock himself in his bedroom," Miss Stuart-Lofthouse stated.
Lesko pursued him and attempted to batter the door down before heading back downstairs and hurling objects about. He was apprehended at his own property at 1.45am.
The victim was transported to Hull Royal Infirmary. He had sustained two wounds to the rear of his right arm along with lower back and forearm injuries.
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He subsequently stated: "This incident has made me feel scared to go back to my home. You never expect your neighbour to behave in such a way. I no longer feel safe in my address.
"I feel unsafe and isolated. I feel I was lucky to survive with my life."
He was initially unable to return to his work as a joiner but later resumed duties on a light basis. David McGonigal, in mitigation, stated that "everyone has a breaking point" and Lesko "lost it" due to his neighbour's persistent loud music.
The noise was so disruptive that Lesko's young son couldn't sleep, vibrations permeated the living room, and Lesko had to crank up his TV volume just to hear it.
"The music went on into the early hours," Mr McGonigal explained. "He describes the music as being unbearable."
A previous resident of the house also found the blaring tunes a "nightmare", alleging that the neighbour would go on "two or three-day benders".
The neighbour was deemed "unapproachable", and Lesko's daughter was frequently disturbed from her sleep. "He tried to reason with his neighbour initially by going round and speaking to him," Mr McGonigal added.
"That didn't work."
On October 19, the police spoke to the man and offered him some advice, which he dismissed. "Clearly, that didn't have any effect because the music continued to be played loudly," Mr McGonigal pointed out.
"The defendant rang up the council on a number of occasions to seek help for them."
On the night of the incident, he called the police and was advised to contact the council. Despite this, the music, along with shouting, persisted, prompting him to call the police again.
"Against that background, he then went round," Mr McGonigal recounted. "He was banging on the door initially and the window initially to try to get the complainant to speak to him.
"Unfortunately, his emotions got the better of him and he chose to go into the house, which he did through an open kitchen window. He accepts being aggressive."
The neighbour was in the living room at the time. Lesko grabbed a knife from the man's kitchen.
"He accepts using that knife," Mr McGonigal stated. "Thankfully, the injuries were not too serious."
Lesko, along with his wife and children, had relocated from the property to another residence, though they retained ownership and were letting it out. He had no prior criminal record, had expressed remorse and was described as a hard-working family man.
Lesko, originally from Slovakia, had been employed at a food company for approximately two decades and was held in high regard. Judge John Thackray KC noted that Lesko endured a "high level of provocation" from extremely loud music being played, which had a significant and substantial impact on him and his family.
"Eventually, you lost your temper and launched a prolonged and determined attack upon your victim," Judge Thackray said. Lesko "just completely lost it" during the assault.
"The injuries were bad but they could have been so much worse," Judge Thackray added. "Your attack has had a profound attack upon your victim."
Lesko received a prison sentence of two years and four months. He was also handed a five-year restraining order.
