A violent neighbour-from-hell pensioner has been convicted of deliberately flooding her long-suffering partially-sighted downstairs neighbour by overflowing her kitchen sink.
Susanne Crew, 71, damaged the floors and walls of Marc Costantini, 55, during a long-running feud.
She has now effectively been sentenced by a court to a ban on overflowing the kitchen sink at her flat in Cranes Park, Surbiton.
Crew was convicted at Wimbledon Magistrates Court of two counts of causing criminal damage to Mr. Costantini’s flat on August 7 and April 14.
She was also convicted of harassing Mr. Costantini between April 9 and April 14 by stamping on her floor day ad night, flooding him and keeping her TV on at a loud volume.
Crew was also found guilty of causing criminal damage to a cell mattress she urinated on at Kingston Police Station on August 7.
The convictions put her in breach of a conditional discharge she received on February 17 at the same court for assaulting Mr. Costantini, who she punched in the face with a bunch of keys.
Crew shouted: “I’m innocent,” from the dock yesterday as prosecutor Mr. Ciaran Cronin told the court Mr. Costantini called the police on April 14.
“They observed water coming down from the flat above and went up and observed that Crew had put the plug in the kitchen sink and water was spilling over and down to Mr. Costantini’s flat.
“She was asked to turn the water off and she said she liked to turn on the taps to annoy Mr. Costantini.
“She would put the taps on at various different hours she told the police and would turn the TV up loud.”
Police were called again by Mr. Costantini on August 7. “There was the same overflowing sink and water going down to his flat causing damage to the wall and carpet below.”
They arrested Crew, who told police: “I did what I did because he’s up to no good downstairs.”
She urinated on her cell mattress at the police station. “She said: ‘I don’t like using the loo’s here because other people have used them.’
“In August, last year she knocked on Mr. Costantini’s door and hit him in the face with a set of keys.
“He sustained a graze to his left cheek and she shouted that she was going to have him because he turned the TV up.
“She told him: ‘Next time I’ll turn up with a knife.’
“On an earlier date she hit his front door with a broomstick, causing minor damage.”
Crew shouted from the dock: “Lies! He assaulted me badly. I’ve her assaulted anyone in my life.”
Her lawyer Mr. Ovais Kadri told the court: “She does continue to deny the charges. She has a fragile disposition.
“She is proud of her flat, she’s had a flat there for a long time.”
Deputy District Judge Abdel Sayed said: “She’s made the complainant’s life a misery and breached the conditional discharge.
“I think there is a big risk of this continuing.
“These are very serious incidents. This is escalating, increasing in frequency.
“His enjoyment of his property is seriously undermined.”
The judge sentenced Crew to a twelve-month community order with a prohibited activity requirement, namely not to overrun her taps or contact Mr. Costantini.
She was also fined £50, with £100 costs and ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge and pay the police £126.96 for the damaged blanket.
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