Woman accused of harassing her neighbours at Tannery Wharf, Newark, sentenced at Nottingham Magistrates' Court
A 59-year-old foster parent convicted of harassment of her neighbours and assault probably won't be able to take in another child as a result, a court was told.
Nottingham magistrates heard Elizabeth Justice was in dispute with her neighbours at Tannery Wharf, Newark, for over a year.
Justice was charged with harassment by being verbally abusive, playing loud music, leaving items to impede access for their vehicle, blocking their vehicular access, and behaving in a threatening manner.
Justice was also charged with assault for throwing a bottle of liquid over a neighbour when words were exchanged by a wheelie bin.
She had denied the charges but was found guilty following a trial.
In a sentencing hearing, the defence for Justice claimed she wasn't the instigator.
Her solicitor said it began when a neighbour damaged her fence, and received a police caution for it.
"After that he the contacted the police regularly and she had the police knocking at her door all hours of the days and nights speaking to her about neighbour disputes. About the wheelie bins being moved, etc," said the solicitor.
The solicitor said police had attended seven times to reports of loud music coming from Justice's home, but it was claimed these were at a reasonable level at time of attendance.
The solicitor said that Justice had been unhappy with her representation at the trial, with many of her points not put across, but had to accept the verdict of the court.
The court heard that Justice had felt unable to return to the property since the verdict and she and dog were staying with family and friends.
The solicitor also said that not only had Justice lost her good character, but that a conviction of that nature would have to be declared and would probably mean that she wouldn't be allowed to foster again.
"She does have a very caring nature," the solicitor suggested.
Despite all of this, magistrates took a very dim view and said Justice, whose income is just under £7,000-a-year in a pension, was due a stiff penalty — at least a high level community order.
As she wasn't deemed suitable for unpaid work because of ill health, they sentenced her to a 12-month community order with 15 days of rehabilitation. She was also fined £480 and told to pay costs of £710.
