THREE years after being pardoned for murder, Felix James's neighbours have claimed he is having difficulty becoming a regular member of society – at their expense.

Residents of Tee Lane, Warrenville in Central Trinidad, are now pleading for help for their ex-convict neighbour, who they said has harassed them mercilessly since he moved in.

James, who was convicted 35 years ago for killing a woman, has denied the claims and told the Express last week he is being targeted because of his past.

The majority of his neighbours have, however, decided to fight for James to be removed from their street.

The residents, who asked for anonymity, said they are not without compassion for James's situation but cannot endure any more abuse.

James moved into his sister's home after receiving a presidential pardon in 2009, on condition that he would not be allowed to carry a gun and would be obligated to report to the St Ann's Psychiatric Hospital for treatment, having been found insane at the time of the trial.

The Express was told that James and his sister do not get along, and he has lived in the back porch of the house since moving in.

Residents want a proper home to be found for James and for him to be enrolled in a programme that will help him re-integrate into society.

"We would have lived peacefully with Mr James, had he made some effort to adjust and behave normally," one neighbour said.

"When he came here to live three years ago, his behaviour was normal for about a month and then he began to pick on the neighbours. We also realised that he was not living in the house but was staying on the back porch and keeping it like a prison cell.

"In addition to using a pail as a toilet, he was disposing of the waste in the neighbourhood drains. This has been going on too long and we are at our wits' end. Nobody would like to be put through this and we should have to suffer in this way."

From the Southern Main Road, Tee Lane seems a quiet little street.

A small cul-de-sac in the shape of a 'T', the residents said they have changed the way they socialise since James's arrival.

Weekends used to be a typical Trinidadian scene, they said, with neighbours often getting together in each other's yards to cook and 'lime' and children playing on the street.

Weeknights were often time for a game of cards on the small junction.

"When you come here on evenings now, the place like a ghost town," said another resident, a short distance from James's home.

"We can't socialise like before because Mr James comes out and cusses and becomes violent. He cusses the children when they are playing in the street. The simple act of sitting in your own yard quietly can cause a violent reaction from this man."

The man said attempts to reason with James have not worked and they want professional intervention.

"We have had enough and we will continue to call on the authorities until this is resolved," the resident said.

All the complaints have been dismissed by James, 62, who said last week his neighbours are simply seeking to displace him from his rightful home.

"They constantly attack me," James said.

James denied accusations that he uses a bucket as a toilet and disposes of raw sewage in the drains outside his neighbours' homes. He declined, however, to allow the Express to view his living quarters during a visit last week.

"I believe this has a lot to do with my past. I am a quiet man and I have paid my debt. I just want to live peacefully," he ended.