A man who was described by his neighbours as 'the worst neighbour in the country' could be forced to sell his house and move.

%image(14636294, type="article-full", alt=""At first what he had been doing was fairly subtle: he was putting dog mess from his garden in next door's keyhole, throwing the dog mess into next door's garden, spitting on some neighbours." Photo: Claire Bogan")

Russell George, 54, is due to be sentenced today at Norwich Crown Court after being convicted by a jury for being in breach of a restraining order and one charge of assault.

Judge Stephen Holt will decide what punishment is suitable for the nuisance 'neighbour from hell'.

The judge has already said that George's behaviour is so extreme he is considering using court powers to force him to sell his property and move elsewhere.

During his trial, a court heard how "outrageous" George would spit at his neighbours and their teenage children from his doorstep while wearing his multicoloured dressing gown.

%image(14636614, type="article-full", alt="Old Nelson Street in Lowestoft. Neighbours say living next to Russell George made their lives a misery. Photo: Google Maps")

The court was also told that George made his neighbours' lives a misery and made them afraid to go into their garden after a long-standing history of unprompted assault and harassment.

George was previously in court on Tuesday, January 21, but his sentencing was delayed as he refused to attend nor have any legal representation, though the trial continued in his absence.

Foul-mouthed George would swear and spit at his neighbours, and is accused by those who live near him of smearing dog mess in keyholes and on cars.

READ MORE: Spitting, swearing, and smearing dog mess - is this 'the country's worst neighbour'?His neighbour Jac Guyton said: "He was putting dog mess from his garden in next door's keyhole, throwing the dog mess into next door's garden, spitting on some neighbours.

"One day he hit me in the chest with two rolled up newspapers after I said 'good morning' to him. It was totally unprompted, he is just violent and full of hate.

"I had to take him to court and he was only sent to prison for a few weeks because he was kept on remand.

"When he came back home he started on the neighbours within 24 hours and was arrested again."

George has 'appeared' in court a number of times.

In October 2019, when he was called to court for other matters, George failed to attend Suffolk Magistrate's Court on video link after refused to leave his cell at HMP Norwich.

He was able to land himself a further conviction as when officers tried to lead him from his cell to a dock of the courtroom, he kicked the guards causing one officer to be signed off work for four weeks with a strained neck.

At the same hearing, magistrates revoked George's bail for the summary offences which took place after George refused to engage with court officials by "plugging his ears and humming" throughout a hearing.

READ MORE: Man in colourful dressing gown spat at neighbour's teenage sonAnother of George's neighbours, Yvonne Hursley, described what it was like to live near him.

She said: "He was abusive. If you walk past he will shout out of the window and stick his fingers up.

"He chucks things from his garden, flowerpots and bricks. He poured cold water over another neighbour who was gardening. For no reason."

Another neighbour branded him "the worst neighbour in the country" and added: "The street was pleasant until he came to live here. I'm glad he might be forced to move."

Brian Wren, the neighbour who most recently took George to court, said: "It would take an eternity to go through all my experiences with him.

"The house was a pleasant place to live until Russell George came to live in the house next door."

"He has got extremely violent tendencies. He has certainly caused us a lot of distress by his constant outrageous behaviour."

READ MORE: Suffolk man faces jail for assaulting four court security officersNeighbours have also described how George specifically targeted Mr Wren's brother, Peter, in his final years before dying from a heart attack.

"Peter would never swear, and was a very composed man," one neighbour said. "But Russell made him mad and added to his stress. The only time I heard him swear in his life was about Russell."