Pilkington granddaughter 'harassed' neighbours

Julia Pilkington denies the allegations

A member of the glass-manufacturing Pilkington family has appeared in court charged with harassing her neighbours.

Julia Pilkington, 37, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on Monday to face five harassment charges, each involving a different neighbour.

Ms Pilkington denies the charges.

She is the granddaughter of the late Lord Harry Pilkington, chairman of the St Helen's-based company during the 1960s and 1970s.

'Scandalous allegations'

The charges relate to Ms Pilkington's behaviour between December 2000 and May 2001 at her town house at Eastlake Heights, Southsea, Hampshire.

Christopher Stopa, prosecuting, said: "These are very serious and sometimes scandalous allegations."

At a court hearing earlier this year, Pilkington's former counsel, John Meredith-Harvey detailed some of the allegations against her.

He asked the court whether an allegation that she was involved in sexual activities in the spa bath was an allegation of harassment.

Mr Meredith-Harvey said: "The defendant was in a jacuzzi and was apparently sexually interfering with a man who she was in the jacuzzi with, in full view of the neighbours - was that directed at the neighbours as harassment or not?"

'Particularly nasty'

Mr Meredith-Harvey also said another allegation involved a neighbour "overhearing the defendant talking to other females, saying 'I am going to get them done over and petrol bomb their house'."

Mr Meredith-Harvey said it was also alleged that Pilkington called a neighbour "a slag and lesbian", and had also made hand gestures, shouted and sworn, and tailgated a neighbour's car as she was driving.

Ms Pilkington's new counsel, Adrian Fleming, told Monday's hearing: "Of the neighbourhood disputes I have dealt with during my 10 years at the bar, this is one of the bitterest I have had the misfortune to come across.

"This is a particularly nasty, involved and protracted neighbourhood dispute."

Ms Pilkington, who currently lives at St Helen's Court, Southsea, was remanded on conditional bail until 3 July when a pre-trial review is scheduled.