'Hate campaign' neighbour speaks

An interim Asbo is already in place against Jeanne Wilding

A woman accused of turning an idyllic rural community into a "hamlet of horrors" says she has gone grey as a result of the case against her.

Calderdale Council is seeking a full anti-social behaviour order against Jeanne Wilding, of Walsden, West Yorks, at Calderdale Magistrates' Court.

Magistrates heard Miss Wilding, 57, had caused traumatic levels of harassment, alarm and distress to her neighbours.

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

Miss Wilding was repeatedly told not to interrupt or talk over others while giving evidence as the case continued on Wednesday.

Centre ban

James Ward, for the council, compared the long-running saga in Bottomley, near Todmorden, to a case from the pages of an Agatha Christie novel.

Under cross-examination by Mr Ward about her 151-page witness statement, Miss Wilding said: "I've gone grey under the weight of the information I've provided."

She denied she had a good memory of some events that took place almost three years ago, but said: "I do keep detailed notes and I'm pretty organised."

The court heard in July 2003 she was banned from the Acorn Centre in Todmorden - a drop-in educational and activity centre for vulnerable youths - because she caused "harassment, alarm and distress".

She said: "Someone said everything was fine until I joined the centre, but that's not right."

She denied reducing one volunteer to tears, but admitted she found one woman crying outside following an argument with her.

'Several aliases'

When asked by Mr Ward why she had refused to attend meetings at the youth centre to discuss the problems, Miss Wilding said she would have attended if her conditions had been met, but she denied everything had to be on her terms.

She denied she was known by several aliases, but later admitted she had been known as both Jeanne Hunter, her maiden name, and Jeanne Cranshaw, her married name, in the past.

Miss Wilding told the court she had simply chosen the name "Wilding" after her marriage broke up and used that on an everyday basis now.

Later Miss Wilding turned to Mr Ward and said: "I know what you're doing. You're doing it very successfully, you are trying to rattle me."

The case continues.