A Playboy cover model’s ongoing decade-long feud with her Kensington neighbour erupted again when the ex-pin-up’s phone was snatched out of her hand and smashed to pieces, a court heard.
"Horrified and Terrified": Galojan
Estonian Anna-Marie Galojan, 43, was once voted one of the world’s most beautiful female politicians during her time with her home nation’s Reform Party.
Unfortunately, that political career ended in disgrace with a prison sentence for a €60,000 fraud, but she has resurrected herself with the Conservatives and is a member of their Campden Ward Committee within the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
She gave evidence at City of London Magistrates’ Court, claiming she was punched and pushed by upstairs neighbour Silva Manuela Odette, 52, outside their address.
Both reside in the seven-block Campden House, Peel Street - social housing surrounded by £3m homes - and clashed on the afternoon of March 24 when Galojan was with friend Paul Halloran.
He supported the former model during the trial, but the neighbourly ill-feeling boiled over and he was ejected from the courtroom when Odette accused him of intimidation from the public gallery by constantly glaring at her in the dock.
In 2014 Odette was arrested at the block when Galojan called the police, but no further action was taken.
Odette claims Galojan does not even live there and keeps reporting her to management and calling the police in an attempt to have her evicted from the desirable property in the heart of an exclusive neighbourhood.
“I was standing outside, waiting for my friend to join me for lunch when the defendant came and approached us in a rude and aggressive way,” Galojan told the trial.
“She was shouting and screaming and being extremely aggressive as always and accusing me of following her, which I never did because I am terrified of her and avoid her.”
She was staying: ’Stop filming me,’ but it was the only way to defend myself. “I started filming when she approached and started screaming and shouting at me.
“She snatched my phone from my hand, took it violently and smashed it on the ground and then started to break my phone against a wall, causing the whole wall to collapse.”
Odette says the weight of Mr Halloran caused the wall to collapse as he leaned into her in an attempt to retrieve the phone.
“She punched me and pushed me twice in the chest.” continued Galojan. “It was very strong, she is very strong and was very angry.
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| Smashed Phone: Odette |
“I was so horrified and terrified. She was extremely aggressive.
“We tried to collect what was left of the phone, but there wasn’t much left. There was nothing left.
“My friend called the police because I did not have a phone and Manuela was staring at us from the stairs, looking very proud and happy with herself.”
When cross-examined by Odette’s lawyer Hamza Adesanu, Galojan told the court: “It wasn’t the first time she has attacked me and she was arrested before.
“I never intended to provoke her and I didn’t approach her and she has an injunction to stop approaching residents of the block.
“I was shaking and crying. I had been attacked and I am not used to such aggressive behaviour.”
The trial heard Odette has complained about the ‘conduct and behaviour’ of Galojan, but the complainant replied: “She attacked me downstairs in 2014 and the police were called.
“It was not the first time or last time she has been arrested for being aggressive towards neighbours.”
Galojan was extradited back to her native Estonia in 2015 to serve five months of a twenty-two month sentence for fraud while the CEO of non-profit European Movement Estonia.
“You have a record for dishonesty don’t you? Are you an honest person?” asked Mr Adesanu.
Prosecutor Robert Simpson objected to the line of questioning, but Mr Adesanu submitted: “Her honesty is a matter of issue. Her trustworthiness goes to the heart of the case.”
The lawyer asked Galojan. “This complaint today is revenge against Ms Odette for making complaints against you, isn’t it?”
When questioned by police Odette claimed she was deliberately pushed into the wall by Mr Halloran while her hair was pulled by a ‘smirking’ Galojan.
Odette told the trial: “Since 2018 she has been filming me to get a reaction to get me evicted. She was filming and smirking and said she was in a public street.
“I got fed up and snapped and grabbed the phone, threw it on the floor and kicked it and then smashed it against the wall,” she admitted.
“The wall collapsed with the weight of Paul as she was grabbing my hair. With his weight he pushed me against the wall and the wall collapsed.
“I never touched the lady. I took my anger out on the phone because she was filming me. That’s it, nothing else.
Galojan & Paul Halloran
“I wish I could go to my home peacefully, without playing these games and smirking with the phone.
“She plays the victim and I just want a peaceful life,” added Odette, who volunteers at a community garden. “She is very good at creating stories and the distortion of reality.
“This has been going on for ten years, she is harassing me.”
Referring to Galojan and Mr Halloran she said: “Both of them are so dishonest and are liars.”
Earlier Mr Simpson told the magistrates: “The two of them are residents in the block and on the day the defendant approached the complainant in the street.
“Ms Galojan has her phone out and is filming and this defendant knocks the phone out of her hand and smashes the phone and pushes her in the chest.
“You will see a short clip of footage demonstrating the state of anger this defendant was in.”
The short clip, recorded by Galojan, was played in court, showing an angry Odette demanding the filming stops before she lunges forward to grab the mobile.
Odette was found not guilty of assault with bench Chairwoman Margaret Diane Lennan announcing: “There is a lack of credible evidence in this case and it is unproven.”
However, Odette had already pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the phone and was conditionally discharged for twelve months and ordered to pay £500 compensation to Galojan.
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