Julia and Douglas McPherson – a couple in Wymondham, Norfolk – have been sentenced this week after a minor disagreement involving a hedge and land escalated.
The dispute over who owned various parcels of land lasted for a total of six months, and one of the couple’s neighbours – Rosemary Mann – claimed she had endured sleepless nights and stress, because the McPhersons kept banging their wheelie bin lids throughout the day and night.
In her victim’s statement regarding the events that took place between July and December 2013, it also included the fact that she had been “verbally abused”.
Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard how the McPhersons moved into their current residence in 2008, and they then purchased another property on the same road two years later, which is when a dispute over land and the ownership of a hedge began.
Philippa Dransfield, the partner of another victim of the McPhersons’ actions – Derek Sang – said: “This has been a nightmare in my life for several years and I’m hoping I can finally move on.”
Wayne Ablett, prosecuting, told the court how Mr McPherson, a romance author who writes under the pseudonym of Julia Douglas, even started banging a bin lid when he saw Ms Dransfield and asked “How are your nerves?”.
Representing himself and his 64-year-old wife, the author said: “I would argue it made less noise than if someone lived next door to a do-it-yourself enthusiast.”
Mrs McPherson was served with a nine-month community order in addition to a requirement to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity, as well as covering costs of £100.
Mr McPherson, meanwhile, was served with an eight-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months.
He was also ordered to complete 60 hours’ unpaid work and to cover costs of £300, as well as paying compensation of £200 to Ms Dransfield.
The couple were given a restraining order to stop either of them from contacting their victims for a period of one year.