Chesterfield family hounded out of their home by malicious neighbour's hate campaign that left five-year-old son having nightmares

The Arkwright Town couple - who have two young children - decided “enough was enough” and sold the house they had lived in for seven years - their first - after months of abuse.

Chesterfield Magistrates Court heard the couple - who Derbyshire Times are not identifying - had objects thrown into their garden, insults shouted over the fence and allegations made about them on social media.

On one occasion Julie Bibbings, 53, even assaulted her neighbour while he was mowing the lawn as his two young children watched.

She would shout at the couple as they came and went from their property - even throwing porridge at them while in their hot tub and squirting water over their fence.

Bibbings was fined over £1,000 at Chesterfield Magistrates Court after admitting harassment and assault.

In a victim impact statement read out in court the couple - now living away from the area - told how their five-year-old son still has nightmares about Bibbings.

The traumatised youngster suffers from a stutter as a result of the defendant’s behaviour.

While his father told how - despite having undertaken tours in the Armed Forces - “this is by far the worst thing I have experienced in my lifetime”.

Prosecutor Bill Taylor told the court yesterday (Thursday) how during one of Bibbings’ outbursts she wrote “derogatory” comments on the Facebook page of one of the pair’s places of work.

The court heard in the aftermath Bibbings’ victim - who holds a highly-professional job - was left having to “explain myself” to her employers.

One of them wrote: “Julie has come into my family home and made me feel violated - due to her behaviour I felt like a prisoner in my own home.

“She made me feel embarrassed in front of friends and family.

“She has tried to destroy my career as well as my partner’s - she tried to destroy my reputation.”

Prosecutor Mr Taylor told the court today how on April 4 Bibbings began “shouting abuse” as one of her victims mowed his lawn.

He was forced to hold up a grass box from his mower to defend himself as Bibbings lunged at him.

During the course of Bibbings’ bizarre vendetta the couple filmed her in action for police evidence.

The court was shown footage of the defendant - shouting through her fence while addressing one her victims and speaking about his wife - saying “she’s an evil vile b****. J, get f****** rid of her”.

Magistrates heard on another occasion the defendant walked into her neighbours’ home and refused to leave while they were entertaining guests and had to be forcibly pushed out of the door.

Bibbings, who had no legal representation in court, said she was driven to her extreme antics by the couple’s loud drinking in their garden during lockdown - causing her partner to have a nervous breakdown and her own attempted overdose.

Bibbings, of Chavery Close, admitted harassment and assault, was fined £375, made to pay £300 compensation, £400 court costs, 38 victim surcharge and given a two-year restraining order.

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