An elderly property-owner has been fined £2,000 and must contribute £2,500 in legal costs for harassing the American tenants that were renting a house she owned in East Anglia.
Rosemary Hill, 74, of Mildenhall in Suffolk, reportedly denied harassment charges but was found guilty, though she was cleared of racially aggravated harassment.
Terri and Dwayne Scott, both US citizens, are said to have requested repairs to be made to the property they were renting from Ms Hill shortly after moving into it.
Mrs Scott said that as correspondence between them and Ms Hill proceeded, between October 2012 and June 2013, the latter became increasingly personal and offensive, even accusing the family of failing to look after her property.
Sergeant Dwayne Scott, who works as an aircraft repairer at RAF Mildenhall, reportedly told the jury that his family received constant telephone calls from Ms Hill during the tenancy – sometimes repeatedly throughout the day – and that the property owner even complained to his immediate senior officer at RAF Mildenhall.
Ms Hill did not give evidence during the trial, nor did she call witnesses at the hearing at Norwich Crown Court, where it was decided that she must pay a total of £4,500.
Ms Hill was also given a restraining order that will remain in place for 10 years and prohibits her from engaging in any further harassment.