But ‘neighbour from hell’ still claims she has been ‘framed’
AN academic at the centre of 26-year feud with her neighbour has avoided jail after bombarding a fellow pensioner with 53 emails and letters.
Dr Elizabeth Hall, 75, made ‘malicious’ accusations against resident Christine Penny – even posting them to a communal notice board – during a ‘campaign’ at Melville Hall, Edgbaston, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
The row, stretching over decades, stemmed from the victim supposedly playing Frank Sinatra too loudly.
The 73-year-old victim described the feud as a ‘living nightmare’, with claims she’s now on anti-depressants and her childhood stutter has returned.
Wheelchair-bound Hall, who is a doctor of science, was found guilty in her absence of harassment and breaching a restraining order not to contact the former hotel owner.
Despite the earlier convictions at Birmingham Magistrates Court, she continued to protest her innocence saying she had been ‘framed’, even suggesting police ought to carry out an ‘investigation’ into the case.
But Judge Roderick Henderson, sentencing, instead accused her of being ‘in complete denial’ and Hall was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 21 months.
Hall will likely be sent to prison to serve the year-long term, the court heard, if she commits another offence.
Rachel Pennington, prosecuting, told the court: “There has been some history of the parties not getting on which led to the Magistrates’ Court.
“Following receipt of the letters, she received emails. The correspondence was sent in breach of the restraining order.”
Mrs Penny previously told how Hall bombarded her with emails, making a number of false accusations and even targeted her plants as the feud ‘came to a crescendo’ in 2016.
Hall was convicted of breaching a restraining order between March 2019 and December 2020 and harassment between April 2020 and May of the same year.
A victim impact statement from Mrs Penny was read to court and said: “Ms Penny states that she continues to suffer from the behaviour of her neighbour Dr Hall.
“There are too many arrests and breaches of bail to even recall, she continues to accuse her and her family.
“It’s all lies. She has not had the support that she wished because of the pandemic and that has compounded her suffering.
“She continues in the campaign against her. She sent her 53 emails when she was not supposed to contact her. It has affected her daughter coming to visit. She fears someone will believe the accusations or she will be arrested for one of the many malicious accusations.
“She says she has to live with her nightmare. She would like it to stop and be able to get on with her life. She feels it will never stop. ‘She has made my life a living hell and my childhood stutter has returned.’
“She wishes to enjoy a quiet life and get on with other residents. She finds it incredibly upsetting and constantly worries that someone will believe the accusations.”
Dr Hall, who defended herself in court as she said she could not afford legal representation, continued to protest her innocence.
“We were civil, it went on from about 2017-2018,” she said, of the feud.
“I pleaded guilty in 2019 just to get rid of it. But it was the greatest mistake I have ever made because I gave her a sense of strength.
“I reported being pushed down the stairs and my front door being kicked in. We have been shouted at.
I have been set up and framed throughout. I’m sorry but that’s my perspective
Dr Hall “It’s a vendetta it’s not a feud. We had years of this.
“I’m sorry but the other problem has been the lack of support from the police. There needs to be an investigation into this case. It’s delusionary.
“I have been set up and framed throughout. I’m sorry but that’s my perspective.”
Judge Roderick Henderson said
she was ‘in complete denial’ as he sentenced her to a 12-month suspended prison sentence on Monday.
He said: “It is also plain from what I have heard in particular her letter to me earlier on, from all of that, that she is in complete denial about those events.
“There is plainly a number of convictions.
“She is 75-years-old and plainly an articulate and intelligent woman and until a few years ago had not come across the path of court.
“The restraining order was very quickly broken.
“This is a very serious breach of the restraining order. It was persistent and it has, I have no doubt, had a significant effect on the complainant in this case.”