A man who claims he put up with noise, rubbish and other inconvenience from a downstairs shop for over three years, admitted in court today that in a fit of anger he yesterday damaged the door and signs of the shop and threatened the owner. He said he would pay for the damage.

Kevin Bartolo, 34, said he lives above Tad-Doughnuts shop in Qormi.

His defence counsel, Arthur Azzopardi, said in court that Mr Bartolo had, for the past three years, had to put up with a large amount of people turning up outside the shop in the early hours of the morning and the area had become an 'extension of Paceville.'

The dirt and smells from the shop would probably violate every public sanitation law that existed, Dr Azzopardi said.

Mr Bartolo also had to keep up with loud music, cars stopping outside the shop and people talking loudly.

"He simply could not continue to live his life normally," Dr Azzopardi said.

Police Inspector Sandra Zammit, prosecuting, confirmed that people did gather outside the property till late. She said that Mr Bartolo was a first time offender and had never previously had any incidents with the police. The inspector said the police would be going to the shop to check about his licence to open late.

The owner of the shop, she said, had still not produced an estimate of the cost of the damages.

Magistrate Edwina Grima postponed the continuation of the case for a week until the owner, Roderick Abela, produces an estimate of the costs.

Mr Bartolo was released on bail against a personal guarantee of €3,000.