Jail threat for Huddersfield Asbo pensioner

Jun 9 2009 by John Knighton, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A PENSIONER may be sent to jail for harassing her neighbour and breaching her ASBO.

Jean Clough, 76, appeared at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with four ASBO breaches.

Clough, of Heys Road, Thongsbridge, pleaded not guilty to all charges but was found guilty by Deputy District Judge Alan Fowler at the trial.

Neighbour Fiona Riordan told the court she had been harassed by Clough ever since she moved into an adjoining property three-and-a-half years ago.

Clough had been given an ASBO after being convicted of slapping Mrs Riordan in the face, hitting her with a walking stick and damaging her property.

She had also been given a caution for harassing another neighbour that lived in the flat before Mrs Riordan.

The ASBO, which she has now breached twice, prevented her from harassing her neighbours, stepping onto their land or using her own property to cause harassment.

Mrs Riordan, a school cook, told the court on October 8 last year Clough had harassed her.

She said: “I had been away from home and came back. As soon as I pulled up Jean was out shouting abuse at me.

“She said I don’t deserve a peaceful life – she was on about her chimney and said she was going to get me out of my property.”

The court heard how Clough believed Mrs Riordan had put a TV aerial on her chimney without asking, and it had broken her TV.

Mrs Riordan did not shout back and went straight inside and began cooking dinner for some friends that were visiting.

Mrs Riordan said: “She came round to the window waving her fingers at me and shouting abuse through the window at me.”

Mrs Riordan said on three more occasions, Clough had waited for her to come home and then shouted abuse at her.

She said Clough regularly abused her but she didn’t always call the police.

On October 27 last year Clough shouted at Mrs Riordan calling her a ‘wig-nosed witch’ and ‘dumb’.

Similar incidents happened on January 8 and January 10 this year.

Clough, who was representing herself, told the court: “I watch my TV in the kitchen.

“It was working in perfect condition and I turned it off when I went out.

“When I came back later that day and waited for my programme to come on there wasn’t a full picture on.

“It was all shimmering and it’s still like that.