A West Country pensioner has landed herself back in court for continuing to terrorise her ‘long suffering’ and ‘exhausted’ neighbours. Despite numerous convictions for making her neighbours' lives a misery over a number of years, 76-year-old Barbera Minns this time sprayed them with a hose, killed their plants and made foul-mouthed threats.
Minns, of Daveys Close in Falmouth, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentencing having admitted four restraining order breaches and criminal damage. Prosecuting the case, Emily Cook said the charges all relate to her long-suffering neighbours Adele Richards and Gary Authers who have suffered at Minns' hands for the last seven years.
A restraining order was first made in 2018 then revised in 2022 preventing Minns from contacting Ms Richards and Mr Authers and entering their garden or loitering outside of it. The first incident of the latest batch of offending took place on July 11 last year when Minns played loud music and then when the couple were out she dumped leaves into their garden hitting their cat.
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Later she stared at them for quite some time before shouting at Ms Richards and calling her a b*tch among other insults. Then on August 3 Ms Richards returned home and heard Minns shouting "f*ck you Adele", reports Cornwall Live.
Minns then poured a sticky substance on plants in Ms Richards' garden. The following day Minns again glared at Ms Richards and shouted at her when she went inside.
When Ms Richards went out Minns shouted again and sprayed water at her, this incident going on for some hours. On October 8 Ms Cook stated how Minns played loud music until the couple went out when she again sprayed their plants with liquid.
She put her fingers up shouting "f*ck you Adele". Chillingly Minns then started a bonfire and threatened to "burn it down". The criminal damage charge took place on April 3 of this year when Minns entered the couple's garden and damaged plants by trampling on them.
Ms Cook said Ms Richards and Mr Authers' lives "are a living nightmare" and that they "just want it to stop". Ms Cook said: "They live in constant fear and are having to change their daily lives. This has affected their quality of life."
Representing Minns, Francesca Whebell said: "She has suffered a recent breakdown and although she has tried endlessly to get help and support she has fallen through the cracks. She knows she's unwell but is unable to access the help she needs."
Sentencing Minns, Recorder Matthew Turner said that Minns' neighbours "are thoroughly ground down by your behaviour". He listed the recent offences before noting Minns' complex PTSD, her emotionally unstable personality disorder and her chronic fatigue syndrome.
He said: "Your needs could be met by adult social care. It is clear you need assistance and recognise it yourself. This can only be done in the community."
Minns was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
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