jrobertson
30-10-08, 07:20 AM
www.shieldsgazette.com (http://www.shieldsgazette.com) - THE SHIELDS Gazette - 29-Oct-08
Neighbour waged hate campaign against my family (http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/Neighbour-waged-hate-campaign-against.4641434.jp)
http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/SGJJ//TH1_29102008363shafowara.jpg
Harassed ... Mary Shafowara with daughters Rebecca and Deborah.
By Karon Kelly
A MUM today told how a nightmare neighbour hurled hate-filled abuse at her family making their lives "hell".
Mary Shofowara says she felt like a prisoner in her own home while Denise Forster reigned a year-long harassment campaign on her, her husband and their young children.
Newcastle Crown Court yesterday heard how Forster, who lived in the flat above the Shofowaras in Chichester Road, South Shields, made obscene gestures, shouted offensive remarks, mocked and played loud music at the Nigerian family.
Mrs Shofowara, 35, her daughters Rebecca, 12, Deborah, three, and husband Olusegun, 44, say they are now relieved Forster was slapped with a five-year restraining order banning her from making any contact with them.
Forster admitted harassment between September 8 2006 and October 3 2007, on the day her trial was due to start, but was spared jail.
The 34-year-old, who works for HM Revenue&Customs, had been charged with a more serious racially aggravated offence but that was dropped when she entered her guilty plea to the lesser charge.
Mrs Shofowara, whose eight-year-old son Moses died in April, today spoke of the anguish Forster had caused her family.
The softly-spoken mum said: "We've been through hell for years because of this woman. We felt like a prisoner in our own home.
"We have no idea why, but she shouted all sorts of disgusting abuse at us.
"I always tried to ignore her, and I told my children to as well, but she would shout at me and humiliate me from her window. A normal human being doesn't behave like that.
"I'm just so happy that it is over now, I'm glad she didn't get away Scot-free."
She added: "I wanted to go to the court to show her I wasn't afraid. She was abusive to my late son and I wanted to be there for him."
The harassment charge involves incidents including:
* On May 22 2007 Forster put her two fingers up from her window at Mrs
Shofowara, who was putting her rubbish out.
* On June 8 2007 Forster again put her two fingers up from her window at Mrs Shofowara, who was hanging her washing out with her daughter.
* On June 20 2007 Forster shouted "shut up" at Mrs Shofowara and again put her two fingers up at her.
* On July 8 2007 Forster played loud music when the Shofowara family returned home from church and shouted "shut up you idiots".
* On July 11 2007 Forster laughed and shouted "shut up you idiots" as Mrs Shofowara and her children left the house.
* On September 28 2007 Forster played loud music for 20 minutes shortly before 11pm, after the Shofowara family had gone to bed.
The court heard in 2006 Forster had been given a suspended prison sentence for an affray involving Mrs Shofowara's husband, who works off-shore, after a long-running dispute between the neighbours.
Defence barrister Paul Currer said Forster moved out of her home in October last year and no longer has any contact with the Shofowara family.
Mrs Shofowara added: "It's been great since she moved out, I now have a new neighbour, who is lovely."
Mr Recorder Graeme Hyland sentenced Forster to a conditional discharge for two years.
He told her: "Bearing in mind you have left the area and there has been no repetition of this disgraceful behaviour for over 12 months I am prepared to give you a chance."
Mr Recorder Hyland also imposed a five-year restraining order banning Forster from having any contact with the Shofowara family.
He warned: "You must not harass at all the injured party, her husband or members of her family by behaviour such as this.
"If you do the likelihood is the judge who sentences you will, in all likelihood, send you to prison."
Neighbour waged hate campaign against my family (http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/Neighbour-waged-hate-campaign-against.4641434.jp)
http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/SGJJ//TH1_29102008363shafowara.jpg
Harassed ... Mary Shafowara with daughters Rebecca and Deborah.
By Karon Kelly
A MUM today told how a nightmare neighbour hurled hate-filled abuse at her family making their lives "hell".
Mary Shofowara says she felt like a prisoner in her own home while Denise Forster reigned a year-long harassment campaign on her, her husband and their young children.
Newcastle Crown Court yesterday heard how Forster, who lived in the flat above the Shofowaras in Chichester Road, South Shields, made obscene gestures, shouted offensive remarks, mocked and played loud music at the Nigerian family.
Mrs Shofowara, 35, her daughters Rebecca, 12, Deborah, three, and husband Olusegun, 44, say they are now relieved Forster was slapped with a five-year restraining order banning her from making any contact with them.
Forster admitted harassment between September 8 2006 and October 3 2007, on the day her trial was due to start, but was spared jail.
The 34-year-old, who works for HM Revenue&Customs, had been charged with a more serious racially aggravated offence but that was dropped when she entered her guilty plea to the lesser charge.
Mrs Shofowara, whose eight-year-old son Moses died in April, today spoke of the anguish Forster had caused her family.
The softly-spoken mum said: "We've been through hell for years because of this woman. We felt like a prisoner in our own home.
"We have no idea why, but she shouted all sorts of disgusting abuse at us.
"I always tried to ignore her, and I told my children to as well, but she would shout at me and humiliate me from her window. A normal human being doesn't behave like that.
"I'm just so happy that it is over now, I'm glad she didn't get away Scot-free."
She added: "I wanted to go to the court to show her I wasn't afraid. She was abusive to my late son and I wanted to be there for him."
The harassment charge involves incidents including:
* On May 22 2007 Forster put her two fingers up from her window at Mrs
Shofowara, who was putting her rubbish out.
* On June 8 2007 Forster again put her two fingers up from her window at Mrs Shofowara, who was hanging her washing out with her daughter.
* On June 20 2007 Forster shouted "shut up" at Mrs Shofowara and again put her two fingers up at her.
* On July 8 2007 Forster played loud music when the Shofowara family returned home from church and shouted "shut up you idiots".
* On July 11 2007 Forster laughed and shouted "shut up you idiots" as Mrs Shofowara and her children left the house.
* On September 28 2007 Forster played loud music for 20 minutes shortly before 11pm, after the Shofowara family had gone to bed.
The court heard in 2006 Forster had been given a suspended prison sentence for an affray involving Mrs Shofowara's husband, who works off-shore, after a long-running dispute between the neighbours.
Defence barrister Paul Currer said Forster moved out of her home in October last year and no longer has any contact with the Shofowara family.
Mrs Shofowara added: "It's been great since she moved out, I now have a new neighbour, who is lovely."
Mr Recorder Graeme Hyland sentenced Forster to a conditional discharge for two years.
He told her: "Bearing in mind you have left the area and there has been no repetition of this disgraceful behaviour for over 12 months I am prepared to give you a chance."
Mr Recorder Hyland also imposed a five-year restraining order banning Forster from having any contact with the Shofowara family.
He warned: "You must not harass at all the injured party, her husband or members of her family by behaviour such as this.
"If you do the likelihood is the judge who sentences you will, in all likelihood, send you to prison."