Man bludgeons elderly neighbor to death over sleep disturbance

Sleep, we are told constantly these days, is the elixir of life.

Certainly, we all get a little grumpy when something or someone gets in the way of our shut-eye.

In fact, such disturbances have at times provoked the most extreme reactions. Although thankfully they are rare.

Last May, for instance, a man in West Virginia gouged out the eyes of his elderly neighbor because the man’s rooster was waking him up too early.

Richard Ellison, 48, is alleged to have killed both the neighbor, Benny Foutch, 72, and the offending rooster. However, he killed the rooster first. Ellison remains in custody, awaiting trial.

Tragically, a similar scene appears to have played out in the early hours of Friday morning in New York City.

A Queens man told police he bludgeoned his 71-year-old neighbor to death because he was upset by the noise the man was making, according to a report in the New York Post.

The suspect told cops he heard a noise coming from downstairs and forced his way into the apartment just before 1:30 a.m., police sources told The Post.

The 37-year-old suspect lives above the elderly victim on 138th Street near 90th Avenue in Jamaica, the outlet reported.

Upon entering the residence of the neighbor, the younger man is said to have begun striking the victim with a metal pipe. The victim was found with severe trauma all over his body, cops said.

EMS pronounced the victim dead on scene, where the suspect was also arrested, police said.

Charges are pending against the alleged attacker, and the victim has not been identified pending family notification.