"Revenge Gone Wrong: Neighbour Attempts to Frame Couple for Child Abuse After Dog Howling Complaints"

A NIGHTMARE neighbour tried to frame a couple for child abuse after they complained about his dog howling all night.

Kevin Dean reported the husband and wife to and social services claiming they were neglecting two kids aged 15 and nine.

Kevin Dean falsely claimed his neighbours were abusing their children Credit: Cavendish They had complained about his dog being tied up and howling Credit: Cavendish

The 59-year-old accused the couple of leaving the youngsters home alone and even said the mum had dragged one into their home by her hair.

Dean also posted vile messages on – warning users to be “wary” of the cabbie husband and claiming his wife was involved in a scam.

The smear campaign came after the pair complained his noisy Weimaraner puppy was affecting their family’s sleep.

Dean’s lies unravelled when police went to the couple’s home and discovered the claims were malicious.

He is now facing jail after he was found guilty of harassment at Magistrates’ .

JPs were told the couple had lived in their family home for nine years without issue but problems began in August 2024 after Dean moved in next door.

The husband said “every day and night” they heard howling and barking – causing him to go and confront Dean.

He told his neighbour the family were having trouble sleeping and his children were struggling with their schoolwork as a result.

Dean said the dog was still a puppy and he was going to train him but the noise just got worse.

The husband added: “We could see the dog was on a very short leash attached to the fencing. The leash was so short that the dog practically had no opportunity to move around and could barely lie down.

“It did not have a bowl of water or food and did not have any shelter from the shade of the rain.

“I went to see him again and suggested that if the dog be brought inside it would not need attention by howling and barking but Mr Dean reacted with anger, stated that the dog and the garden is his property and has nothing to do with me and he can do what he wants.

“I said if he was not going to listen to my polite and kind request that I would have no choice but to report this matter to the appropriate services.”

When Dean failed to listen, the couple complained to the RSPCA and the housing association, which sent him a letter warning him about excess noise.

But when the husband returned home one day, he found footage of Dean ripping the note to shreds and scattering the pieces outside the family home.

The couple were then horrified when they received a visit from police saying they received allegations they were accusing their children.

They also received a call from a social worker and discovered Dean was blaming the wife for his dog going missing.

He also posted on Facebook claiming the children were “left alone to fend for themselves” and had “played a game with matches trying to set each other’s clothes on fire”.

Following two more visits from the police, the family also had a “traumatic” meeting with social workers, who had to interview the children separately.

Authorities concluded it was a “malicious” report but the dad said the visits had a detrimental effect on his kids.

He added: “It was extremely traumatic for us because we knew the impact of such an investigation. The children were extremely distressed, especially our son who is autistic and he has got ADHD and we were worried because of these false allegations made by our neighbour our children would be actually taken into care.

“We were also told that during the investigation that the social worker was going to contact every other institution that had any involvement with our children including all of the schools that children attended and also the doctors, anyone who had any involvement with the children.

”The whole experience was very frightening and also very humiliating. My children were reluctant to play outside knowing that they could be watched.”

Dean was hauled into court after the couple compiled a huge dossier of evidence against him including extensive CCTV clips relating to allegations of ”aggressive” parking and littering plus copies of malicious Facebook posts.

In his evidence, the dad-of-five said he believed the couple’s reaction to his dog was “over the top” and insisted his reports had “nothing to do with getting my own back”.

But sentencing, District Judge Timothy Boswell said: ”I sure these were malicious complaints.

“There were no genuine concerns on Mr Dean’s part.”

Dean, pictured outside court, is now facing jail Credit: Cavendish He said he would train the puppy but the noise got worse Credit: Cavendish Dean said the children had been neglected Credit: Cavendish