The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Woman tells court alleged campaign of fear led to stroke
Manager claims access to property blocked
A woman has told a court she suffered a stroke as a result of businessman’s alleged six-year campaign of fear against her and her family.
Gail Nichol-Andrews claims her neighbour, Ernst Robberts, restricted vehicle access to her home and set up CCTV to monitor movements. She also claims Mr Robberts, whose family runs the Delny Highland Lodges in Easter Ross, parked his pick-up outside her home and loitered, sometimes for an hour, up to 50 times in 2011.
The alleged offences are said to have taken place between December 13, 2010, and August 14, 2016.
But Mr Robberts’ defence solicitor Alison Foggo sug- gested she could not always see Mr Robberts in his car and said he was instead out there building drains.
Ms Foggo said to the witness the disharmony between them was a result of an existing civil dispute over her rights of access to land which is owned by Mr Robberts and his family.
Mrs Nichol-Andrews, of Amberina Cottage in Tullich Muir near Invergordon, gave her evidence at Tain Sheriff Court yesterday.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir asked Mrs NicholAndrews, 57, what effect the alleged incidents have had, to which she replied: “Physically, I have had a stroke. I have been rushed to hospital with chest pains through not being able to access my own property.
“I am petrified I am go- ing to drop dead. I only feel safe when I am away from my own home. It’s never going to stop unless someone does something to stop it.”
Mrs Nichol-Andrews, a social work team manager, said two of three access routes to her property had been blocked by Mr Robberts.
She said Mr Robberts built speed bumps and erected bollards on the other track, as well as upgrading a fence, narrowing a turn by his property and limiting the size of vehicles.
She added on one occasion she was forced to take a detour in an ambulance. And on another occasion she claimed the family took their caravan to Belladrum and upon returning, a hole had been dug in the road.
She said that the cameras, installed between 2011 and 2016, also made her feel violated.
But Ms Foggo stressed these cameras are on Mr Robberts’s land and that Mrs Nichol-Andrews did not know who had dug this hole in the road.
The trial will continue on January 18.