Ten year ASBO for the nasty neighbour

A woman who carried out a 13-year hate campaign against a neighbour has been given an ASBO and barred from returning to her Hemel Hempstead home for 10 years.

Devout Christian Josie Edwards was also sentenced to a total of 15 months in prison but having already served half that on remand may be released within a few days.

The Antisocial Behaviour Order also banned Edwards from further harassing her long suffering neighbour 50-year-old Ian Camilleri, or his girlfriend Rebecca Childs, neither of whom were in court.

Edwards, 45, of Ashby Court, had been obsessed with her neighbour and had already been convicted and jailed for a string of harassment in 2000, 2003 and last year.

In the latest case she was found guilty of eight counts of breaching a restraining order concerning Mr Camilleri.

She had refused to remove CCTV which she had trained on Mr Camilleri's house to monitor his activities. Police found it still focussed on his home only days after she had been told to remove it.

Cambridge Crown Court heard yesterday that she had sung the Lord's Prayer, shouted abuse, slapped her bottom in front of him and even smeared excrement over the front of his house.

Convinced that she was more a victim than her neighbour was, she once told police: "I forgive him but I won't forget him."

She also installed a concrete and steel barrier near their adjoining garages which made it impossible for him to open the driver's door of his car when he parked.

At an earlier hearing a jury had heard how Edwards was obsessed with Mr Camilleri.

As a result of the 2006 conviction a restraining order was put in place banning her from any contact or communication with him. But within three days of the order being made the court heard she started harassing him again.

Mr Camilleri, a driver who works nights, said the harassment started four to six months after he moved into his three-bedroom home with his wife and two children.

He said: "Initially the abuse was about the state of my house and mine and my wife's appearance and the way my wife looked after our children.

"Edwards would also scratch my car and slash my tyres. In 1994 an injunction was granted against her but this didn't make any difference."

He said he eventually split up with his wife in 1998 and felt sure the harassment was partly to blame.

Mr Camilleri, who has now been with his girlfriend for nine years, said: "In 2003 Edwards started smearing excreta on the front of our property.

"I couldn't get into the property and the dustman and the postman refused to approach.

"She lets me know that I'm being watched constantly. She gives you the feeling she is looking over your shoulder."

He said that after she was convicted of harassment earlier this year and returned to her house nothing changed.

"It was back to square one, he added.

Recorder Richard Rouse told her: "I am satisfied you have no understanding of how your conduct has impacted on your victim. Indeed you have seen yourself as a victim."

She also had an earlier 10 weeks suspended sentence activated as well as a four week suspended sentence for biting a police officer, all to run concurrently.

Edwards was also ordered never to operate any CCTV without the express permission of the court, to seek counselling for psychological issues and to attempt to get a job on her release from prison.

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