A nightmare neighbour harassed an elderly couple for 14 years because she didn’t like the colour of their BUNGALOW, a court heard.
Relentless Kirsty Robertson, 46, warned “I won’t stop until you’re dead” as she continually made the lives of Mavis and Alan Ward a misery.
The couple were forced to turn their respectable £150,000 bungalow into a “virtual fortress” and carry panic alarms with them as they feared what she might do next.
Robertson’s despicable actions have included painting the couple’s home – because she didn’t like the colour of the pebble-dash finish.
She also hurled a torrent of verbal abuse and threw items at their property in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancs., a court heard.
Robertson has even made the couple terrified of entering their local supermarket unless they can be sure she’s not inside.
After eight attempts, Mr and Mrs Ward successfully proved their case against Robertson yesterday (Mon), and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Mrs Ward said: “In April this year I was mowing the lawn and she saw me, stopped and ran her hand across her throat with a cutting action and said she would not stop until I was dead.
“She has been hell-bent on destroying us with her harassment and intimidation – using words I cannot repeat.
“It’s been going on for years and I carry a panic alarm with me all the time.
“We have to check our local supermarket car park to make sure she is not there before we go in ourselves.”
Blackpool Magistrates Court heard how Robertson moved in next door to Mr and Mrs Ward 14 years ago.
She did not like the sandstone paint on the side of their pebble-dashed wall adjacent to her home, and while they were out, she painted it white.
Adrian Hollamby, prosecuting, said the court was dealing with a period from November last year to this April during which the Wards had suffered verbal abuse, threats and objects thrown at their #150,000 home.
Robertson’s actions mean they have been forced to surround their bungalow with panic alarms and CCTV.
Mrs Ward, 66, told the court that the incidents stretched back 14 years.
She said on one occasion her son had put a tree which had blown down in gales back into Robertson’s garden where it had been growing.
Robertson confronted Mrs Ward who told the court: “She told us to leave her property alone and that she knew everything about us because she was watching what we did on the internet.
“My husband got a similar text message on his mobile phone.”
She said on two occasions she believed Robertson had thrown slates at the bungalow and another in which she said Robertson had taken pictures of the Wards’ granddaughter.
Mrs Ward’s husband Alan, 67, told the court: “One of the worst incidents was when she started to take pictures of our granddaughter.
“When she was asked to stop she used the foulest of language – terrible and disgusting words in front of a child.
“She told our granddaughter ‘you will find out one day what your Nana is really like’.
“It has been awful for my wife. I don’t know what really started it. I suppose it was the painting of the rendering. She didn’t like the colour.”
The retired tea shop owner added: “We have worked all our lives. All we want is a bit of peace.”
District Judge Andrew Pascoe praised the couple for being “incredible witnesses”.
He said: “This has been going on for 14 years and culminated in the graphic
gesture by Robertson to Mrs Ward with her hand in a cutting movement and the suggestion that she should be dead.
“There has been a course of action which is harassment and I may only have heard the tip of the iceberg.”
The court heard that Robertson had not given an interview to police about her conduct.
In her absence, Judge Pascoe issued a warrant for her arrest and said a restraining order on Robertson would be issued when she attended court.#
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