Seeds of discontent ... pensioner ‘used overgrown plants to terrorise neighbour’
A PENSIONER made her neighbour’s life a misery by growing a large plant in front of his window, a court heard yesterday.
Mary De Jong, 67, has been embroiled in a long-running row with Stephen Johnston, who claims she has ‘terrorised’ him with her overgrown shrubbery.
The pair have shared a courtyard in the pretty riverside village of Topsham, Devon, for seven years.
However, after they fell out three years ago, De Jong became as ‘unreasonable and awkward as possible’ – and planted a bush to block Mr Johnston’s kitchen window, stopping him opening it. She also pointed cameras at his home.
De Jong was handed a restraining order by magistrates in 2017. She was also told to cut back the large pot plant and stop using the CCTV cameras. But
‘She is not a reasonable person’
she has now gone on trial at Exeter Crown Court accused of breaching both aspects of the order, which she denies.
Prosecutor Lee Bembridge said: ‘For months Mary De Jong has been terrorising Stephen Johnston with her pot plants and her CCTV cameras.
‘She planted a bush which purposely blocked his window and prevented him opening it fully, causing a disruption, despite him asking her to cut it back.
‘He has tried to deal with things reasonably – Mary de Jong is not a reasonable person.
‘These things on their own may seem insignificant, but over the months and years they have been very distressing and harassing for Mr Johnston.’
The retired university lecturer said he had lived in the house since 2007 with his partner of 30 years, Susan. He told the court that he had taken another neighbour’s side against De Jong in a dispute in 2016, which ‘soured their relationship’.
After that, a bamboo plant appeared in a pot below his window, but it did not grow. Then the second plant was positioned under his window. Mr Johnston said: ‘It did grow extraordinarily vigorously. Slowly but surely it grew and grew and covered a large proportion of my kitchen window.
‘I wrote to her about the lack of light and she responded by saying, “These houses do get rather dark”. It was quite clear this was being done on purpose.’
Mr Bembridge told the court: ‘It’s hard to imagine anywhere more serene and idyllic to live, unless you live next door to Mary De Jong.’ The trial continues.