A woman has been banned from taking photos of her next-door neighbour watering her garden plants after an extraordinary dispute between them ended up in court.
Kim Porter-Wilson, 46, was accused of a nine-month campaign of harassment against Ann Breen, who lives in an adjacent bungalow in a quiet suburb of Caister-on-Sea.
Mrs Breen, 71, said her neighbour became angered by her watering her hanging baskets, because she was concerned the water would run towards her pathway.
After Porter-Wilson began photographing her and sounding an alarm as she carried out the task, Mrs Breen became so intimidated she would only do it at night.
But Porter-Wilson would spot her doing so and keep taking photographs.
Porter-Wilson had been due to face a two-day trial accused of harassment.
But at a hearing at Norwich Magistrates' Court yesterday, she accepted a non-conviction restraining order instead.
The order specifically states that she must not film her neighbour watering her plants.
The court heard that Porter-Wilson had photographed Mrs Breen’s home night and day.
The row also saw her make gestures to Mrs Breen's CCTV, verbally abuse workmen and deliberately cause parking problems in a lay-by outside their homes, on Breydon Way.
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Police and neighbours had been due to give evidence in the two-day trial.
The restraining order was imposed with the agreement of Porter-Wilson and three of her neighbours, including Mrs Breen.
Prosecutor Hannah Butler said the court had been due to hear from both Porter-Wilson’s neighbours and other residents in the street.
Mark Jackson, mitigating, said: “The defence case here was accepting much of the conduct, but saying that it amounted to irritation and annoyance and does not cross into the threshold of harassment.”
He said Porter-Wilson suffered from a condition that meant her “social skills can sometimes not be as good as they could be and the reaction sometimes to what her neighbours have done was unpleasant”.
He added: "As with all neighbour disputes there are always two sides to the story."
Magistrates imposed an 18-month restraining order for her not to contact four neighbours directly or indirectly.
She must also “not photograph Ann Breen or her property, specifically when she is watering her plants”.
Mr Jackson argued the order was proportionate and that “there have been no issues since my client was charged, and that is going back nearly 10 months”.
'WE CAME HERE FOR A QUIET RETIREMENT. IT'S BEEN LIKE A PRISON'
Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Breen said Porter-Wilson had "made her life hell".
She and her husband Michael, 72, had moved to Breydon Way four years ago for a quiet retirement.
"We're old age pensioners. We came here to have a quiet retirement. We haven't got that yet," she said.
“We have had over four years of it. We’ll be sat here doing nothing and she will just start banging and moving the cars in the driveway.
“It’s just made our lives hell. We’re treading on eggshells all the time.
“She’s made us feel very uncomfortable in our own home.
"There’s not been a quiet moment. It’s been more like a prison.”
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Mrs Breen said Porter-Wilson had regularly sworn at her and her husband.
Things escalated after Mrs Breen bought plants to make her garden look nice.
Porter-Wilson began taking photographs, checking to see if any water had splashed onto her path.
Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said Porter-Wilson moved the cars in the driveway several times a day and would regularly bang a concrete slab on her wheelie bin.
“We didn’t get what we wanted,” the neighbour said. “She needs to be kicked off the street.
“At the end of the day, the court wanted to give her 12 months restraining order and I said absolutely not.
“Hopefully she can just leave us alone now.
“For the past four years, we have had nothing but abuse. I’ve been afraid to even walk down the street.
“She’s made me very upset and angry and I am not like this. She’s just been horrible. It’s been a nightmare.”
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