Neighbour harassed couple with power tools and CCTV camera
A neighbour drove a couple out of their dream home after harassing them with noisy power tools late at night, a court has heard.
Wendy Lau, 54, threw stones, banged on the wall, played loud music and pointed a CCTV camera at Abigail Beckett's new house, a judge was told.
Lau, a sign language interpreter, was alleged to have persistently harassed her neighbours until they had 'no choice' but to move out of their home in Hampshire, which Ms Beckett described as being 'evicted by proxy'.
Although Lau admitted that she was an 'inconsiderate neighbour' and had made noise over the 18-month period, she denied doing it with 'malice' and claimed some of the noise was her making tea.
She pleaded guilty to one count of stalking involving serious alarm and distress and received a suspended sentence at Portsmouth Crown Court.
Edward Fenner, prosecuting, told the court that Ms Beckett and her family moved to the two-bedroom home in the village of Portchester, Hampshire, in August 2022.
The semi-detached property, which cost just under £290,000, was next door to a bungalow which Lau bought two weeks later.
The court heard that the harassment started as soon as Lau moved into her home.
Neighbours described hearing 'very loud banging and noise' throughout the day and into the early hours of the morning.
Lau would stare at Ms Beckett and her family, bang on her window, and throw stones at their house, the court heard.
CCTV cameras, pointed at Ms Beckett's house, were installed by Lau to 'spy' and she would 'persistently' use power tools and play loud music.
Ms Beckett and her then-fiancé, Stuart Turner, reported Lau to the police. She was served a cease and desist order, but the noise continued.
Mr Fenner explained that the couple moved out to live with Ms Beckett's parents in October 2023, and eventually decided to sell their home.
He added: 'The action of the defendant made it impossible for them to continue residing at the address.
In a victim impact statement, Ms Beckett spoke of the 'significant impact' the harassment has had on her life.
She added: 'It will take us a long time to begin to understand why Ms Lau made us her target.'
Mr Turner said he thought his family would be in the property 'until old age' but had no choice but to sell it because of Lau's behaviour.
'Inconsiderate neighbour'
Casey Chard, mitigating, told the court that Lau is 'at heart – not a bad person'.
Mr Chard said Lau 'didn't think about the consequence' of her behaviour and that none of them were out of 'malice'.
He told the court: 'Her actions were not intended to cause the distress that she inevitably has.
'Put simply, it's as a result of her [being an] inconsiderate neighbour.'
Lau pleaded guilty to one charge of stalking involving serious alarm and distress.
His Honour Judge James Newton-Price KC handed Lau a four month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.
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