A 43-year-old woman with a Lurgan address who harassed a neighbour and told her she would put her in a “f**king ambulance” has been jailed.
Claire Keenan, of Hill Street, admitted charges of harassment, making a threat to kill her neighbour and making threats to damage her property.
Incidents happened between November last year and January this year.
The defendant appeared, via video link from prison, at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on February 28.
The defendant lived in an apartment above the woman’s home.
A prosecutor said the defendant shouted at her neighbour on November 12 last year: “I am going to f**king kill you. I’ll put you in a f**king ambulance”.
She also said the neighbour would see her deceased husband “quicker than you think”.
On another day the defendant told the woman she was “going to torture” her, which the neighbour perceived to mean mental torture.
At 2am on November 17 last year firefighters were called to a reported gas leak at the defendant’s home. Nothing was found. The neighbour, a prosecutor said, believed the defendant had done that to cause her and others anxiety.
The defendant banged on the floor for a number of hours.
On November 29 the defendant threw items from her home, almost hitting a vehicle.
The defendant kicked the neighbour’s door and a plant pot was thrown.
On January 4 this year the defendant told the woman she was doing to “burn” her out.
The prosecutor said behaviour had been ongoing for several months and the neighbour was made to feel “vulnerable and constantly harassed”.
A defence lawyer said alcohol was not a feature and instead it appeared the defendant had a “significant mental health issue”. She had spent two months in prison on remand.
The lawyer said the defendant wished to apologise to her neighbour.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan told the defendant: “This is obviously a prolonged period of harassment against your neighbour.
“No doubt that has been extremely distressing for your neighbour. It is also bizarre and unexplained behaviour”.
The judge said problems with neighbours “is something that is very deeply felt by people”.
He added: “This one went significant stages further and has no doubt impacted significantly on the life of your victim”.
The judge said he could see the defendant was “visibly upset”.
Judge Ranaghan said the “innocent neighbour simply did not deserve it”.
The judge jailed the defendant for seven months and put a two-and-a-half years Restraining Order in place.
