To feel so sorry for my friend and be very p***ed of because this is just a waste of taxpayers money.

[ray81]

Ok will try and keep it short.

My friend who i have known for 22 yrs has been having no end of trouble with her neighbours, as far as i am concerned they are just big bullies. The neighbours have shouted abuse at her over a fence, poured milk in her car when she forgot to lock it (no proof of course) but the woman had told my friend she had done it to another neighbours car who she didnt get on with (this was when they did talk). They park across her drive so she cant get out, drive across her grass to get onto their drive, kick a ball against the fence whenever she is in the garden. Stare in her window and stick their fingers up at her and her 3yr (i have witnessed this myself) and other things.

Well it came to a head about 3 months ago when friends DD had been realy poorly, she put DD to bed and almost immediatley DH of neighbour started beeping his horn, the car was on the drive not going anywhere. she let this go on for about 20 mins and then went out and asked them to stop, he ignored her, she said it 3 times and then turned away saying 'or you could just ignore me', it them all kicked off, he started shouting at her telling her she was a bitch etc etc, the wife then came out doing the same thing. Now my friend realises she was in the wrong but she swore back and called the woman a theif ( as she had seen her being escorted by police in supermarket and was told my security it was for stealing), she never should have said anything but i understand why she lost her cool.

sorry bear with me, anyway 3 days later friend has police on her doorstep re what happened, friend tells them whole story, they go away and she doesnt hear anything for 2 weeks. She then gets a letter from solicitor telling her they are suing her in a civil action, my friend gets a solicitor and fights this, after 4 or 5 letters going back and forth, she then gets another visit from the police re the same incident, they wanted her to make a statement. at this time witness came out of the woodwork that next door is very friendly with. friend makes a statement admits to what she said, neighbours lie through their teeth of course, friend is then told she will get a caution for swearing in the street, she refuses to accept it. Now today she has to go to court re the swearing they want to procecute her for it !!!!!

Am i BU to take her word for what happened bacause i realy do believe her and also for feeling so sorry for her. and for being realy p*ed of at the police for wasting the taxpayers money over something so stupid.

I should add that my friend is now trying to sell her house to get away from these people, and she hates being at home on her own, i am often round there for company so she has a witness if they try and cause trouble again.

So sorry this is so long my mum thinks i am BU and i shouldnt trust what my friend says because their are 2 sides to every story. But i have witnessed them putting their fingers up to her and her 3 yr old when she did nothing at all. some people are just Twunts arent they?

[ray81]

Sorry wasnt short at all !!!!

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

YANBU. Neighbours sound like charmers. Of course there are two sides to a story, but the side you are aware of makes compelling the evidence that neigbours are twunts.

[ray81]

Yes this is the first hearing and my friend has seen their statements, it says she was swearing at them and they were trying to be reasonable, its all a pack of lies.
It just seems to me also that you get nowhere in this country by telling the truth.
I was so shocked that they were following through with this and wonder if the neighbours know someone in the police or procecution service ifkwim.

[BigOfNoorks]

YANBU your poor friend some neighbors are just utter c**ts.

[ray81]

Smallwhitecat, Other then her husband their was nobody there and he has given the same account of what happened. Of course there are witnesses to their account that they are very friendly with and they even got their 14 yr old DS to lie for them, that makes me sick.
Yep it is a public 5 order act as far as i can remember and she doesnt have any other convictions at all.
I just feel so sorry for her and angry on her behalf too esp as i have been there with the finger thing and also the ball thing as well.

[taintedpaint]

OMG your poor friend! You have witnessed what these people are like, so I think it's entirely reasonable that you take her word for it.

How is she doing today?

[ray81]

I am waiting to hear from her, i called her this morning to wish her luck and she was meant to go in a 9.45, but i remember from when i had work experience that sometimes it doesnt happen that way so she could be there a while. I am keeping vereything crossed that it goes her way.

I just wish there was something i could do but just keep thinking what comes around goes around and i realy hope it does.

[lalalonglegs]

God, I had no idea swearing on the street was a prosecutable crime (I'd be locked up and have the key thrown away ). We are having similar problem with neighbour completely fabricating stories about our "harrassment" of her (long story - boundary dispute) and we are going to court - keep a log of events and, if you can bear it, then offer to be a witness and given statements about any bad behaviour you have seen first-hand.

[taintedpaint]

Well fingers crossed for her, let us know when you hear, tell her to get on MN for a rant if she needs it! I've been to court before (as a witness) and there have been terrible delays, so she might not even be in there yet.

[ray81]

OMG i have just heard from my friend and this is going to full trail. Can you beleive that they are wasting the taxpayers money for swearing, i just cant beleive it.

[nancydrewrocked]

It all sounds very unfair given your friends version of events.

Since she has been charged with as.5 offence she is guilty if she used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.

It seems that your friend has admitted the offence to the police and this is likely why it is being pursued - on the face of it it looks like a very easy "win" for the police/CPS.

Given the admission, basically the chances of your friend not getting convicted are slim.

Has she ever made a complaint to the police about her neighbours before? If she has she needs to obtain the details of these from the police (they record all complaints). Her solicitor should then write to the CPS explaining there is a long history of (well documented) harrassment on the neighbours part and that in these circumstances it is not in the public interest to prosecute the matter. A fair prosecutor might consider such a submission favourably but if not your frined ought to think seriously about a guilty plea.

[ray81]

Unfortunatley she has never made a complaint to the police about them, they have always just given in to them whenever an issue has occured so as not to cause trouble because she is a very nive person and wants a peaceful life. When they were doing the fence and wanted to put a higher fence in they were told he would "knock them the fuck out" if they did so they put the smaller fence in, so i think the neighbours think they can walk all over them tbh.

The thing is is that she feels that she has done nothing wrong, even though she admits to swearing she retaliated to their abuse but because they are denying swearing at her they are completely getting away with it.

She has been told that she is out on unconditional bail although she was never actualy arrested for the offence. She was read her rights but the policeman told her she was not being arrested. and she is so scared that they will make up a story and call the police so that she is detained until the hearing which is in dec, even though the offence is not an imprisonable offence. So she is seriously considering moving in with her ILs until all of this is over. She is so upset.

On the positive side she does have copies of all the statements including the witness statements and they dont make much sense they realy contradict themselves in them.

I will tell her that she may want to think about pleading guilty and see what she says.

And also she had a barraster who was a family friend representing her and he let her sown at the last minute so she has to find a solicitor now.

[nancydrewrocked]

Firstly tell her not to worry. Her chances of being detained until after the trial are virtually non existent, whatever the neighbours may make up. There are no bail conditions for her to breach (which is where people often fall foul of bail) and unless she commits some particualarly heinous crime she is not going to lose her right to bail.

Secondly, if she has any trouble off the neighbours she needs to report it - anything at all, get it documented.

Thirdly she needs to find a solicitor - if she has no previous convictions she should get legal aid and she needs proper legal advice, from someone who is aware of all the facts.