Businessman, 54, gets suspended jail term after NINE-YEAR battle with his garden designer neighbour

Businessman, 54, gets suspended jail term after NINE-YEAR battle with his garden designer neighbour sparked by row over compost heap behind their £420,000 homes

Paul Loughlin, 54, was handed a suspended sentence and a restraining order
He fell out with neighbour Doreen Mitchell, 70, over compost heap in her garden
He and partner Yana Dodson now wear bodycams in their garden over court fear
Mr Loughlin raised a jolly roger flag ‘for his grandchildren’ but police were called

By Zoie O’brien For Mailonline

Published: 01:12 GMT, 30 November 2018 | Updated: 02:21 GMT, 30 November 2018

A business director has narrowly avoided prison over a row with his elderly neighbour in an affluent country lane – as their dispute escalates to the point the homeowners are wearing ‘bodycams’ in the garden.

Paul Loughlin, 54, erected a Jolly Roger pirate flag over his £420,000 home after falling out with his next door neighbour, wealthy garden designer Doreen Mitchell.

The Norfolk based neighbours initially fell out when 70-year-old Mrs Mitchell refused to relocate her compost heap in 2009, The Sun reports.

Angered Edgefield resident Doreen called police over the ‘noise’ coming from the Loughlin residence where Paul lives with partner Yana Dodson, in the months that followed. However – he says the sounds came from a lawn mower and a disc saw.

Things got so bad that in 2010 police told Mr Loughlin off for the pirate flag he says he erected for his grandchildren.

The neighbours in Edgefield, Norfolk, (pictured) initially fell out in 2009 but the row has continued and one family have taken to wearing bodycams in the garden

But the rift only grew.

In 2015 he landed in court over claims he would ‘laugh and sneer’ at the pensioner next door – as she insisted he was harassing her.

Mr Loughlin was hit with a restraining order and was handed a 12 week suspended sentence, The Sun reports.

On top of this, he was ordered to pay £15,000 in compensation.

Along with his partner, Ms Dodson, Mr Loughlin says they are scared too enter their garden and have taken to wearing bodycams now – in case another court case comes their way.

He told The Sun: ‘I haven’t been perfect here. But nor has she and we are not going to sit here and take injustice.’

There remains a boundary dispute between the neighbours.