Students stuck on Tryfan
ACATTERY owner who harassed her neighbours by blasting out loud music, setting fires and shining bright floodlights has been spared jail.
Rhiannon Alexa Binyon also played recordings of the sounds of dogs barking and placed a metal barrier immediately in front of her neighbour’s bedroom window, preventing her from looking out.
Magistrates two weeks ago found Binyon, of Llanfair yn Neubwll, near Caergeiliog, Holyhead, guilty of harassing three neighbours.
She was back in court at Caernarfon, last Tuesday, where she was told her behaviour had crossed the custody threshold.
Bench chairman Alwyn Lloyd Ellis said: “Your actions over a prolonged period caused distress to David (and Dot) Brooks and Prydwen Maclean.
“No reason whatsoever why you harassed them in this way has been given.
“In our view, the level of culpability is high.”
But the bench were satisfied there was a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation and Binyon’s 12-week prison sentence was suspended for 12 months.
During that time Binyon, 37, must attend 15 rehabilitation activity days and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. She must also pay £755 in costs.
An indefinite restraining order was made banning Binyon from contacting the three pensioners by any means and from entering their properties.
During the trial the court heard Binyon had bought the property in August 2017 and had received permission to start the cattery and to home-board four dogs, but was denied permission to establish dog kennels.
One of the victims, David Brooks, said it was this refusal which had sparked the harassment and which had “turned their life upside down”.
Reading a victim statement in court, he added: “Rhiannon Binyon has seldom allowed us a single day to pass without making our lives a misery.”
Prydwen Maclean, the owner of the nearby Cymyran Hotel, said the incessant barking and smoke from fires burning had led to complaints from guests and affected her business.
On a personal level, she said placing a barrier immediately in front of her bedroom was done without consultation.
“She has no right to terrorise me in this way,” she added.
Binyon became emotional when describing the effect the court action had had on her, and she had received counselling.
Patrick Geddes, defending, said Binyon accepted placing the barrier may have been an extreme measure.
He added the noise was used to scare away birds, but accepted it may have gone beyond what was reasonable.
The case had led to Binyon losing her good character and could affect her business, and Mr Geddes urged the court to deal with her by way of a community penalty.
A group of poorly equipped students almost developed hypothermia after getting stuck on Tryfan for almost 12 hours.
With only two torches between them, five students from a university in the Midlands, set off late to climb the 3,000ft peak in very poor weather with little visibility.
The group split up with one man deciding to walk a different route up the peak to his companions.
They all got lost but managed to phone the emergency services at around 4.30pm.
Chris Lloyd, for Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue, said: “The lone male rang 999 as it was the only call he could make as he’d run out of credit on his phone. He had no idea where he was, which wasn’t very helpful.
“The weather was very miserable. The group of four said they were on the east face of Tryfan and were found after midnight not being able to go up or down and very frightened and wet. The lone male had made it to the road.”
Using additional ropes the volunteers from Ogwen managed to guide and help the group down and a Coastguard Rescue Helicopter made two trips to airlift the group and eight volunteers to safety.
Mr Lloyd said: “The pilots showed amazing skill as the weather really was that bad. All the equipment we had and theirs, had to be left on the mountain and we went back this morning to retrieve it all. Those students have had quite an experience. They were poorly equipped and had made a few mistakes.”