‘Evil’ neighbour jailed over feud with woman, 87

Reporter: Lewis Jones
Date online: 26 January 2012

A MAN who shouted abuse and spat at his 87-year-old neighbour has been jailed.

Oldham Magistrates Court heard how 32-year-old Richard Campbell called the elderly lady “a slag” following a feud over a wall.

He pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order placed on him in July last year, and was jailed for 20 weeks.

Prosecutor Miss Jinny Sehra told the court how the argument had began last year when Campbell kicked over a wall between him and his elderly next-door neighbour at the address in Ripponden Road, Moorside.

The Oldham Chronicle reported at the time how kind-hearted teenagers from Oldham College rebuilt the brick wall free.

At the time Campbell, who since the incident has moved to Top Street, in Greenacres, was dealt a restraining order not to contact the woman, who was then 86.

But tempers flared again on Tuesday last week when the woman, described in court as “vulnerable”, was loaded with shopping and trying to open her front door.

In a statement she said: “I saw him crossing the road, then I turned around and I could hear him getting closer. He suddenly cleared his throat and spat at me. He shouted in my face and called me a slag.

“I was disgusted, I had no idea where the spit landed, I was too scared to look.”

Miss Sehra, prosecuting, added that the pensioner was left shocked and frightened by the incident and described Campbell as “evil”.

Defence solicitor Mr Chris Fallows said the defendant had tried to stay away from the woman by using the back door to the house.

He said he had recently argued with his partner before the incident and as a self-employed bricklayer had wanted to demolish and rebuild the wall.

Magistrates said it was an aggravating factor that his victim was an elderly, vulnerable, woman.