A property tycoon millionaire, known as the “neighbour from hell”, is fighting a battle to have her nationwide Asbo lifted.
Patricia Bailey, 60, a millionaire property developer who lives in St John’s Wood, has been banned from visiting and contacting her former neighbours in New Cavendish Street – proving that money can’t always buy you VIP access.
Ms Bailey’s Asbo, issued last year, prohibits her from visiting former neighbours and states: “You must not use threatening, abusive, aggressive or obscene language or behaviour towards any person, in any public place in England and Wales until further notice.”
In Southwark Crown Court last week, the judge heard how she was given the Asbo for her bizarre behaviour – which included her chanting, “keep away all evil my Lord, from flat four and flat five. Banish them, O Lord, from here to damnation and hell.”
The curses had been recorded on video by the recipients and submitted as evidence in court.
When issuing the Asbo, the judge said he wished he could ban her from “the entire planet”, (normally Asbos cover a fairly limited area, but Bailey’s covers the whole of the UK).
However, Bailey is now determined to appeal the order and still maintains her innocence; arguing that she was the victim of relentless partying and feared for her life. She said she believed her neighbours were forming a ‘lynch mob’ trying to kill her. The case continues.
Nightmare neighbours are nothing new of course, but new transparency laws mean they could prove extra troublesome if the non-offending neighbour wants to move.
A counsellor from Devon, who wishes to remain anonymous, has dealt with 24 years of abuse from her neighbour, who she believes could be mentally ill.
“It started with the usual neighbourly complaints about various little things, my kids being a bit noisy in the garden but then it escalated – she caught my son stroking her cat and threatened to cut his hands off!
“She’s made me think about selling up and moving on, but what with the HIP [Home Information Pack] that’s probably not possible any more, who’s going to buy from someone with a 24 year neighbour dispute?”
Alex Derber, 29, a journalist from North London, suffered nine months of torment from a neighbour he also suspects was mentally ill.
“It started with a note, scrawled diagonally on the back of a napkin. ‘Dear neighbour, I am Echo, I have lived here for many years. I know you are new but please respect my peace. I just want to live in peace.’
“Over the next six months we received more notes, each increasingly aggressive and paranoid. We were woken early in the morning and late at night by ‘Echo’ beating on the adjoining wall – despite there being no noise from our side as we were fast asleep.
“We also had glass thrown into the garden, our flowerbeds ripped up and eggs thrown at the windows.
“But it was the beating on the walls that really shattered our nerves. At night was worst – being wrenched awake by the ravings of a madman – but it was also embarrassing if we had friends round.
“Nine months later it stopped. I guess he was sectioned,” he said.
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