Telford woman 'called neighbour a Nazi spy’ in dispute over a fence, court told

A court was told that Kirsten Gerasch and her partner Nigel Plimmer were standing on their drive way at their home in Baldwin Webb Avenue, Donnington, along with chartered surveyor Paul Fisher, when Etty Bachar began shouting abuse from her window.

It is alleged that 58-year-old Bachar called Miss Gerasch a ‘Stasi spy’, referring to the state security spies in east Germany between 1950 and 1990. Miss Gerasch also alleges she was called a ‘Hitler spy’ and a ‘Nazi spy.’

Bachar denies a charge of racial aggravation with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress. She failed to attend her trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Wednesday, stating that she had travelled to Israel and her passport had been stolen or seized, and she was unable to return to the UK.

However, she instructed her defence to continue the trial in her absence.

John Oates, prosecuting, told the court that at 4pm on October 18, 2016, a chartered surveyor was at Miss Gerasch’s home to inspect the boundary line between the two properties.

The inspection was due to a dispute between the two parties about where a boundary fence had been built. At this point, Mr Oates told the court, Bachar opened her window and began shouting at Miss Gerasch, referring to her as a Stasi spy.

He said: “Using that word regarding an evil organisation, that was a racist thing to do.”

Giving evidence, Miss Gerasch said she was shaking and felt physically sick after the abuse.

She said: “She shouted ‘You Nazi spy, you Hitler spy, you got what you deserved, you are a Stasi spy, you will get your punishment'. I froze and then I was shaking. I was upset and felt physically sick.”

The complainant also alleged the fence that had been built by her neighbours had stolen land from her property.

Miss Gerasch said the fence that had been put up between the properties wasn’t straight, and was a ‘disgrace and an embarrassment’.

The court heard how the wall had been built by Bachar and her husband to protect their property.

Also, Miss Gerasch and Mr Plimmer had installed seven CCTV cameras to protect their home.

Antony Longworth, for Bachar, argued that one of the cameras was pointing at Bachar’s property, a claim which was denied by Miss Gerasch and Mr Plimmer.

Mr Longworth alleged that when the surveyor was inspecting the fence, he had touched it which prompted the shouting from Bachar.

However Mr Fisher told the court: “I didn’t touch the fence. The woman shouted out of the window ‘You’re nothing but a Stasi spy,’ and then shouted to me ‘I can hear you, I will be watching everything you say’.”

The trial continues.