Neighbour speaks of family ordeal

An interim Asbo is already in place against Jeanne Wilding

A neighbour of a woman accused of turning a remote rural community into a "hamlet of horrors" broke down in court as he spoke of his family's ordeal.

Nigel Pratt said Jeanne Wilding had attacked his wife, damaged their property and destroyed their lives since moving next door to them in 2002.

Calderdale Council is seeking a full anti-social behaviour order against Miss Wilding, of Wilsden, West Yorks.

The case involves 259 alleged incidents between July 2004 and November 2005.

'Screams and shouts'

The court heard alleged examples of Miss Wilding's anti-social behaviour included beaming floodlights into her neighbour's home, tipping oil over their driveway at night, putting dead animals in people's gardens and putting glass and nails on the road.

Mr Pratt became overwhelmed with emotion as Miss Wilding's lawyer, Danielle Graham, asked whether those involved in the dispute in Bottomley, near Todmorden, had considered mediation.

He said the problems with his next door neighbour had dominated his family's life and had a huge effect on his 11-year-old son.

"He's frightened of my wife going out in the yard when Miss Wilding is there," he said.

"He screams and shouts at her not to go outside."

Professional troublemaker

Businessman Matthew Stead told the court he had experienced similar problems while living next door to Miss Wilding in a Wiltshire village in the late 1990s.

Referring to the problems described by Mr Pratt, he said: "You could basically take away their names and addresses and their details and you've got exactly the same thing going on."

On Thursday, James Ward for Calderdale Council described Miss Wilding as a professional troublemaker who caused traumatic levels of harassment, alarm and distress to her neighbours.

He said she was turning her countryside community into a "hamlet of horrors" in an ongoing dispute that had led to the families involved watching each other with banks of surveillance cameras.

The case continues.