ASBO pensioner Jean Clough escapes jail

Jun 27 2009 By Emma Davison

A PENSIONER who waged a campaign of harassment against her neighbour narrowly escaped prison yesterday.

Instead neighbour from hell Jean Clough was slapped with a four-month suspended sentence for breaching her ASBO– on the day she celebrated her 77th birthday.

And District Judge Susan Bouch warned the Thongsbridge pensioner that if her unruly behaviour continued she would go to jail.

She said: “This was a serious offence over a long period of time where the complainant suffered assault, criminal damage and harassment.

“It’s a problem that’s not going away, it seems to be getting worse. It’s a pattern of offending that’s seriously affecting the neighbour’s quality of life.”

Earlier this month Clough was found guilty at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court of four ASBO breaches.

The court had heard that Clough, of Heys Road, had harassed her neighbour Fiona Riordan 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 was also cautioned for harassing another neighbour who had lived in the flat previously.

The order prevented the widow from harassing her neighbours, stepping onto their land or using her own property to cause harassment, but the court heard she continued to breach it between October 8 and January 10.

Mrs Riordan said Clough made her life a misery, shouting abuse at her and throwing eggs at her door.