Pensioner, 67, blocked neighbour’s kitchen window with bamboo plant and trained CCTV camera on him as part of harassment campaign after they fell out over a shared courtyard, court hears
- Mary de Jong, 67, is in dispute with her neighbour Stephen Johnston in Devon
- An Exeter Crown Court jury heard she pointed a CCTV camera at his window
- de Jong has been accused of breaching a restraining order after she continued to grow a ‘vigorous’ bamboo plant outside Mr Johnston’s door and window
Mary de Jong (right), 67, has been in dispute with her neighbour Stephen Johnston since she planted Bamboo outside his window during a row over access to her courtyard in Topsham, Devon
An ‘unreasonable and awkward’ pensioner may have breached her restraining order by continuing to grow a large bamboo plant and point CCTV at her neighbour’s kitchen window, a judge heard today.
Mary de Jong, 67, has been in dispute with her neighbour Stephen Johnston since she planted Bamboo outside his window during a row over access to her courtyard in Topsham, Devon.
As the plant grew it started to block the light and even stopped Mr Johnston being able to open his window. de Jong also trained CCTV on his window.
This ended with a restraining order being made against her.
She may now have breached that restraining order by pointing CCTV at his window, as well as allowing her plants to grow directly in front of it.
de Jong denies both charged, an Exeter Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Lee Bremridge told the jury that Topsham was an estuary town in an conservation area where expensive yachts are moored in the River Exe.
He said: ‘It’s hard to imagine a more serene and idyllic place to live…unless you live next door to Mary de Jong.’
He said for many months she harassed her neighbour Mr Johnston with her plant pot and CCTV camera.
The court heard there are a group of four terraced homes with two courtyards in White Street and Mr Johnston’s back door and kitchen window back on to the courtyard owned by de Jong.
Retired university lecturer Mr Johnston moved into his home 12 years ago – de Jong moved in seven years ago – and things were fine to begin with as he accessed his rear door through two red gates.
Mr Bremridge said a disagreement started over the shared access over de Jong’s courtyard.
De Jong, who was described as ‘vexatious, bullying, petulant, confrontational and aggressive’, told Mr Johnston he could not use his back door, which backed on to her courtyard (pictured)
The prosecutor said: ‘de Jong’s response was as unreasonable and awkward as she possibly could be.’
In 2016 he said she planted a bush in the courtyard and it encroached on Mr Johnston’s window as it grew.
He said the bush restricted light going in through the kitchen window and obstructed Mr Johnston from fully opening his window – and he took photos to show this.
Mr Johnston asked her to cut it back but she refused to do that, said Mr Bremridge.
The jury heard in early 2017 de Jong’s CCTV camera was situated on a bird bath pointing directly at Mr Johnston’s back door and kitchen window.
‘She refused to remove it when asked to do so,’ said the prosecutor.
Mary De Jong installed CCTV cameras overlooking her neighbour Stephen Johnston’s house in White Street, where they both lived (pictured) in Topsham, Devon
Mr Johnston asked a local PCSO to intervene as relations worsened, he gave de Jong words of advice but they were ignored and the problems continued.
In Autumn 2017 Exeter Crown Court made a two year restraining order whereby de Jong should not commit further acts of harassment against Mr Johnston.
The order – which remains in place – ordered her not to obstruct her neighbour’s windows or door temporarily or permanently; and not to point her CCTV or film or record Mr Johnston’s window or door.
Mr Bremridge said: ‘To any reasonable and rational person the fact that a crown court made an order should be the end of the problem.’
At Exeter Magistrates’ Court (pictured), De Jong was given a 12 month community order and must carry out 120 hours unpaid work
But he said she was not a reasonable or rational person and the CCTV constantly watched and monitored her neighbour’s home.
Mr Bremridge said over the months and years this caused ‘distress and harassment’ adding: ‘They were clearly in breach of the court order which is still in force.’
Mr Johnston gave evidence and said the offending bamboo plant was a ‘very vigorous plant with lots of foliage and slowly but surely the plant grew and grew and covered a large proportion of the kitchen window’.
He said he was unable to properly open his window. He wrote to her about the problem and she replied ‘these houses do get rather dark’.
He did not pursue matters because she had ‘clearly done this on purpose’.
He told the jury that she installed various cameras after a dispute with another of the neighbours Elizabeth Kingston.
The trial continues.