Couple hounded out of their home by angry neighbour

Loretta Acton, pictured leaving Manchester Magistrates’ Court, were she pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment and one of criminal damage

A former soldier and his wife were hounded out of their home by a neighbour who accused them of dumping dirty nappies in her bin.

Daniel and Helen Elliott were branded ‘vile, disgusting slobs’ by Loretta Acton, 57, who claimed the couple were taking liberties with her general waste bin.  

But two years of simmering tensions eventually boiled over and Ms Acton launched a doorstep confrontation against Mrs Elliott — threatening to kill her and causing her to retreat indoors.  

Later she confronted Mr Elliott, also 34, as he was taking the couple’s two young children to school calling him a ‘f**king control freak’ and a ‘f**king psycho’ and warning: ‘My mum has just died – I hope you will die next.’

Police were called in after an-off duty constable who knew of Acton spotted her slashing the tyres on Mr Elliott’s black Audi A4 which was parked outside. 

The victims later quit their rented £133,000 stone cottage mews in Littleborough near Rochdale, Greater Manchester due to what they branded a ‘barrage of abuse’ and a ‘saga.’

In a statement Mrs Elliott who works for a property company said: ‘The whole saga has meant I’ve had to move out as I’m concerned what she will do next. 

‘It’s having an effect on my children as they pick up on the anxiety I have.’

Her husband added: ‘I believe if I remain then further things will happen and I have to look after my family – and myself.’ 

Details emerged at Manchester magistrates court where Acton – whose former husband worked as a police doctor before running his own chemical research company – admitted two charges of harassment and one charge of criminal damage.

Helen and Daniel Elliott (pictured) were branded 'vile, disgusting slobs' by Loretta Acton, 57, who claimed the couple were taking liberties with her general waste bin

Helen and Daniel Elliott (pictured) were branded ‘vile, disgusting slobs’ by Loretta Acton, 57, who claimed the couple were taking liberties with her general waste bin

She was fined £440 and ordered to pay £120 compensation for the damage to the tyres and must pay £129 in costs and surcharges.

The charges related to incidents which occurred between September 27 and October 5 two years after Acton who got £700,000 from her divorce settlement move into a terraced mews property next door to the Elliotts.

Prosecuting Mr Andrew O’Gara, said: ‘In the first incident Ms Elliott opened her door and was called a slob, disgusting and vile by this defendant who said she was going to kill her. 

‘This concerned Ms Elliott and she walked back into her property. 

But two years of simmering tensions eventually boiled over and Ms Acton launched a doorstep confrontation on Mrs Elliott (pictured right with her husband) — threatening to kill her and causing her to retreat indoors

But two years of simmering tensions eventually boiled over and Ms Acton launched a doorstep confrontation on Mrs Elliott (pictured right with her husband) — threatening to kill her and causing her to retreat indoors

‘At 7am on October 4 Daniel Elliott woke up and his partner brought the children in to see him. They were leaving the house together when the defendant opened the door and said “have you two been putting things in my bin?”

‘Daniel Elliott responded telling her to shut up but she replied: ‘don’t tell me to f***ing shut up’. 

‘He then asked her to watch her language in front of the children only for her to say ‘you’re a f**king control freak and a f**king psycho – my mum has just died I hope you will die next’. That happened in front of the children. 

Passing sentence District Judge Khalid Qureshi told Acton (left and right): ‘The first offence is slightly less serious than the other because it was not involving children. I’m not minded to make a restraining order – I don’t think it’s necessary’

‘The final matter was witnessed by an off-duty constable who lives nearby. The lady, who he knows to be the defendant, appeared to be in a verbal argument with another person and he went over and found the tyres of an Audi were slashed.’

The court was told Acton has previous convictions for drink driving in 2013 and having no insurance in 2016.

Stephen Connor, mitigating, said there had been ‘two sides as to what was going on on’ and that Mr Elliott had been ‘aggressive and abusive towards her’. 

'The female (Mrs Elliott) has never been aggressive to her and there's a genuine level of remorse. Some of the terms used such as 'slob' and 'vile' are not pleasant and she expresses appropriate remorse

‘The female (Mrs Elliott) has never been aggressive to her and there’s a genuine level of remorse. Some of the terms used such as ‘slob’ and ‘vile’ are not pleasant and she expresses appropriate remorse

He said: ‘The female [Mrs Elliott] has never been aggressive to her and there’s a genuine level of remorse. 

‘Some of the terms used such as “slob” and “vile” are not pleasant and she expresses appropriate remorse.

Mr Connor said that when Ms Acton told Mr Elliott that her mother had died that he said ‘I don’t care’ and ‘started clapping’.  

He said Mr Elliott also ‘chuckled to himself’ when the defendant warned ‘you’re next’, said Mr Connor. 

He told the court that death of his client’s mother ‘contributed’, and that her child passed away when they were nine-years-old.

Prosecuting Mr Andrew O'Gara, said: 'In the first incident Mrs Elliott (pictured) opened her door and was called a slob, disgusting and vile by this defendant who said she was going to kill her

Prosecuting Mr Andrew O’Gara, said: ‘In the first incident Mrs Elliott (pictured) opened her door and was called a slob, disgusting and vile by this defendant who said she was going to kill her

‘She does accept she’s got issues in relation to grief and maybe alcohol issues underlying,’ he added. 

Passing sentence District Judge Khalid Qureshi told Acton: ‘The first offence is slightly less serious than the other because it was not involving children. I’m not minded to make a restraining order – I don’t think it’s necessary.’

After the case Acton said: ‘I used to live in a really big, posh house and two and a half acres and when I moved into this house I just wanted to keep myself to myself. I never had a problem with her – it was him I had the issue with.

After the case, Acton said: 'They [the Elliotts]  just kept completely filling all my bins up with dirty nappies and dirty clothes but they were really dismissive about it'

After the case, Acton said: ‘They [the Elliotts]  just kept completely filling all my bins up with dirty nappies and dirty clothes but they were really dismissive about it’

‘They just kept completely filling all my bins up with dirty nappies and dirty clothes but they were really dismissive about it. 

‘I know it sounds really petty but I live here and pay council tax the same as everybody else. I couldn’t put anything in my bin because it was full.

‘When I was sentenced I was just thinking ‘thank god for that’ and I was so relieved, I know. The penalty could have been a million times worse – I could have been ironing in a charity shop or sweeping the streets.’

The couple (pictured) were leaving the house together when the defendant opened the door and said 'have you two been putting things in my bin?'

The couple (pictured) were leaving the house together when the defendant opened the door and said ‘have you two been putting things in my bin?’

Acton’s ex-husband Bernard, 64, who divorced her three years ago following just four years of marriage said: ‘I think those neighbours did put stuff in her bins because I used to go there to do repairs and they asked if I was Loretta’s husband and I would say ‘no I’m the gardener’ and I would then see him go out and put stuff in her bins.

‘But she’s in all sorts of trouble at the moment.  

The Elliotts were unavailable for comment. 

 

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