The stench of more than 50 cats and dogs and “constant” barking emanating from a house in Marsa spurred 15 residents to take action against their neighbour, a court heard yesterday.

The man responsible, neighbours testified yesterday, was Agostino Borg, 52, who allowed the situation to degenerate to such an extent that people living in the vicinity could not even open their window due to the smell of excrement.

Mr Borg was charged yesterday with breaching the peace, discarding garbage in the street and failing to stop his pets from annoying neighbours.

Taking the witness stand, Police Constable Christopher Debono said that on January 6 at around 8.30pm he received a report from a number of people complaining about animals making a noise in Triq San Frangisk, Marsa.

The residents complained that Mr Borg had named the dogs after his neighbours and used profanities when talking to them in an apparent jibe at the neighbours, he said.

According to the residents, Mr Borg also left garbage bags outside with liquid seeping out of them, PC Debono told the court.

The officer went on site and from some 80 metres away could already hear the dogs barking. When standing at the front door, the sound was so loud that he could not even hold a conversation.

Mr Borg had some 40 cats and 14 dogs inside the property and the stench was overwhelming, the officer testified. Taking the witness stand, resident Joseph Zammit said that he had been suffering with the problems created by the constant barking for a long time. He told Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras that she had no idea just how bad it was as the barking went on at all hours. When a southerly wind blew, he was prevented from opening any windows as the stench got really bad.

At one point during the proceedings lawyer Joe Mifsud, appearing for the residents, told the magistrate that out of respect for her he would not request her to visit the site because it was so bad. The magistrate told him to refrain from making such comments.

Testifying, Mary Rose Bugeja, an elderly next door neighbour of Mr Borg, said he was nasty to her and she had overheard him saying to one of the dogs, shortly after she was released from hospital, “Oh look, she is still alive”.

She added that she could not sleep because of the barking and sometimes thought the walls of her house would fall down due to the excessive noise.

The case continues. Lawyer Marion Camilleri appeared for Mr Borg.