Neighbour from hell breaches restraining order again

Maura Ponsford shouted a tirade of foul language to her next-door neighbours, a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

The incident came just three days after she was released from prison, where she had been sent after breaching previous restraining orders.

Jurors were told the 72-year-old shouted an abusive word to her next-door neighbour, David Millington, on August 29 last year in Pine Court, Wraysbury Park Drive, Emsworth.

It came as he was going to and from a communal garage as he carried out DIY work.

The moment was captured on CCTV cameras on Mr Millington’s house.

Then the jury was told she abused her other next-door neighbours, Mark and Louise Jackson, as they stood in their garden.

The incident was recorded on a mobile phone and the footage was played to the jury.

The abuse included ‘Who do you think you are?’ and ‘He must have been desperate to marry you’.

Ponsford was also accused of sending two letters to Mr Millington last September.

The letters were sent while Ponsford was in jail and Mr Millington discovered them on his doorstep after returning from holiday.

Barrister Daniel Sawyer said: ‘They thanked Mr Millington for his kindness.

‘She enclosed a map of the prison in case he wanted to book a visit.

‘They were not unpleasant letters.’

He added that the letters were ‘bizarre’.

Reading a statement from Mr Millington, Mr Sawyer said: ‘We don’t feel like we can lead a normal life.

‘Every time we leave the house we worry about what will be said by her.’

A statement from Mrs Jackson said: ‘She’s made our family’s life a living nightmare.’

The original restraining order was imposed in 2013 and she was jailed for breaching that.

The court heard she had breached the order on 16 occasions.

Ponsford did not attend the trial as Judge Claudia Ackner ruled she was unfit to plead after seeing two psychiatric reports.

The jury found that she had committed the acts. Sentencing was adjourned until a later date.