Nuisance door knocker in Telford avoids jail
A nuisance neighbour has been given a suspended sentence – for knocking on her neighbour's doors.
Claire Bowden continued to bang on the doors of houses near her home in Shifnal despite being told to stop.
She was given a suspended two-month jail term for breaching a court ban.
Bowden was ordered to stop "persistently knocking" on doors and ringing doorbells.
She tormented people living near her home in The Willows, High Street, Shifnal.
The case followed complaints to social landlord Bromford Housing Association from residents that Bowden had been causing problems in the area. As a result a judge sitting at Telford County Court made an interim order against Bowden.
She was told at a hearing on January 12 that she was "forbidden from engaging or threatening to engage in conduct which causes or is capable of, or causing nuisance or annoyance".
The ban included making threats, using violence, abusive language or persistently knocking on neighbours doors and ringing neighbours doorbells.,
She was also told to stop using intercom systems without a reasonable excuse.
And she must not contact in any way five of her neighbours.
Bowden breached the terms of the interim injunction and was arrested by the police and brought before the judge on January 31 when she admitted the breach.
The judge sentenced her to two months in prison suspended for six months. If Bowden breaches the sentence the prison term may be activated. She was also ordered to pay £308 costs to the court.
Donna Scott, Bromford's community safety team manager said she was pleased the matter was being dealt with.
She said: "We work very proactively as part of the community in the Shifnal area.
"Unfortunately this sometimes means making a difficult decision to take legal action against those that take part in nuisance behaviour and cause problems for others."
