No jail for concert pianist accused of 'noise pollution'

A concert pianist has been cleared of charges of causing noise pollution, which could have sent her to jail, by a Spanish court.

Laia Martin, 28, and her parents were all found not guilty after their trial earlier this month caused a storm of ridicule and disbelief when prosecutors sought a sentence of seven years.

They later reduced this to 20 months.

#Spain court acquits pianist Laia Martin of 'noise pollution' http://t.co/VSZEpxfkzJ pic.twitter.com/GHkQWcasTl

— The Straits Times (@straits_times) November 27, 2013

Ms Martin’s neighbour, Sonia Bonsom, complained the pianist practiced five days a week for eight hours at a time between 2003 and 2007 in an apartment in the town of Puigcerda.

She told the court she now hated pianos so much she can not even stand to see them in films.

The court said it found her claims unreliable and exaggerated. It said there was no proof that Ms Martin’s playing surpassed the 30-decibel limit laid down for musical instruments in the town – as the prosecution claimed – or that the playing was the direct cause of Ms Bonsom’s problems.

Martin’s parents were attached to the case when they carried out soundproofing work twice, but this failed to stop the complaints.