Pensioner’s campaign of harassment against neighbour

Mary De Jong (pictured), subjected her neighbour to a campaign of harassment

A woman barricaded her neighbour in his home and filmed his property in an ‘excessive and repressive’ campaign of harassment. 

Mary De Jong installed CCTV cameras overlooking Stephen Johnston’s house in Topsham, Devon, placed a bamboo plant in front of his kitchen window and left a large log in front of his back door after he testified against her in a court case. 

The 66-year-old, who was described as ‘vexatious, bullying, petulant, confrontational and aggressive’, also told Mr Johnston he could not use his back door, which backed on to her courtyard.

Exeter Magistrates’ Court heard De Jong also ‘waved a crucifix’ at Mr Johnston as she subjected him to four months of abuse.

De Jong was found guilty of harassing Mr Johnston between March 2016 and July this year.

Prosecutor Nick Bradley said while the case was a neighbourhood dispute, it became a criminal case because of De Jong’s campaign of harassment.

He said De Jong told Mr Johnston he had no right of way through her courtyard which his back door and window backs on to.

The court heard in June 2015, De Jong launched civil action against her other neighbour Elizabeth Kingston over paving which had been replaced with a gravel path.

The hearing later went in De Jong’s favour and the path went back to paving.

Magistrates heard that in June 2016, De Jong was convicted of battery and common assault after she crashed her bike into Miss Kingston.

She was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £50 compensation and £620 costs. No restraining order was made.

But she took exception to Mr Johnston’s witness statement made during the case, in which he called her a ‘petulant bully’. 

De Jong said his statement left her ‘shocked and appalled’.

Mr Johnston told the court that De Jong accused him of trespassing on her property at Easter 2016. 

He said: ‘She was V signing with me with both hands. She also waved a crucifix at me.’

He said a ‘rather large tree stump’ was used to block his back door and cat flap and a bamboo plant put outside his kitchen window.

Then De Jong installed CCTV cameras pointed at his home. He said: ‘It made me feel miserable, depressed and I couldn’t sleep at night as I was thinking what can be done to avoid such ridiculous behaviour.’

She claimed she put the log there and installing the cameras to stop trespassers.

De Jong denied harassment without violence of Mr Johnston between March 2016 and July this year.

However Magistrate chairman Brian Balsdon found her guilty, telling her: ‘Your actions were excessive and repressive in targeting Mr Johnston.’

She was given a 12 month community order and must carry out 120 hours unpaid work.

A restraining order was made banning her from obstructing Mr Johnston’s house, engaging in harassment or violence, and pay costs of £685.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk