Guy Whines About Neighbor’s Plant Wall, She Cuts It Down And Gives Him A View Of Pure Concrete
Oleg Tarasenko and Denis Krotovas
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If you remember the plot of the “John Wick” movie, the antagonists’ critical mistake, which led to the plot’s twist ending, was lethally harming the protagonist’s dog. This not only sealed their own fate, but also created one of the most popular and enduring memes in modern pop culture.
Well, the mother of the author of our story today, the user u/GanzGenauFrau, is clearly not a ruthless, trained special agent, but a simple Argentine housewife. But woe betide anyone who forces such a lady to cut down the plants she’s lovingly nurtured in her garden for so long!
More info: Reddit
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Good neighbors are a true blessing from above, but sometimes people actually overuse such neighbors’ kindness and this leads them to nothing good
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author of the post has a mom who’s an agro engineer by trade and lives in a one of two houses sandwiched between two huge buildings
Nightmare neighbor who terrorized couple through their Ring doorbell gets jail time
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Mom of ‘Today’ host Savannah Guthrie missing, cops fear foul play | NY POSTcast
A nightmare neighbor who terrorized the couple living above her through their Ring doorbell has been jailed for more than three years.
Drina Gray, 52, harassed victims Ben and Emma – who do not want to give their surnames – “morning, noon and night,” a judge said.
Ben, 32, bought his first flat in Wandsworth, southwest London, in 2022.
But when council tenant Gray moved into the flat below his the following April, his life changed.
After reporting her for kicking her dog – which he says he caught on CCTV cameras – Gray launched into a “relentless” campaign that made Ben and his partner Emma prisoners in their own home.
In the months that followed, Ben’s neighbor smashed two Ring doorbells in less than a year, issued regular chilling threats via cameras and took her dog to dirty their doorstep.
The product manager even lost his job at a startup company because of the lack of sleep he was getting due to Gray blasting loud music and hovering the communal hallway in the early hours of the morning.
Countless disturbing videos captured by Ben’s cameras show Gray shouting, swearing and threatening him.
After Gray was finally prosecuted for her campaign of hate and a judge ordered her into custody, she escaped from court and went on the run for weeks.
She claimed that Ben had been using her as “bait” to make his 31-year-old partner Emma, who also lives at the flat, jealous after a break-up.
But jailing her for 40 months, Judge Peter Lodder KC told her she had harassed the couple “morning, noon and night.”
“You made the lives of your neighbors hell,” he said. “You persistently harassed them morning, noon and night.
“Despite orders being obtained to seek to prevent you from behaving in the way you did, you continued in your campaign.
“It may well be that you were under the influence of alcohol, but that is not an excuse – it’s an aggravation.
“It’s no consolation at all to the people you were threatening with extreme violence.
“This was over a period of six months. You well knew what you were doing.”
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Judge Lodder jailed Gray for 40 months after she admitted charges of harassment intended to put in fear of violence, two charges of criminal damage relating to doorbell cameras she smashed and a public order offense of using threatening words and behavior towards Ben.
A further charge of failing to comply with a community protection notice was dealt with by way of a two-year conditional discharge at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court in June.
Ben, who claims he recorded “140” separate incidents of harassment over 18 months, has complained previously of the way Gray’s case was dealt with by the authorities, including by the Metropolitan Police, Wandsworth Council and the court services.
He claims that when Gray once threatened to “shoot” him and his partner Emma, who works in marketing, police took “13 hours” to respond.
Court cases involving Gray were adjourned multiple times before she was finally sentenced for her offending.
Prosecutor Dylan Bub, outlining the facts of the case, told the court: “The victim and defendant are neighbors – they live in the same block.
“The defendant moved into the bottom flat in April 2023.
“Since the defendant moved into her property, she engaged in a campaign of harassment against [Ben].”
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Bub explained that though the first year passed without incident, Ben installed cameras at his property after Gray stole two parcels from outside his door.
In May 2024, he said Gray broke the first of two Ring doorbell cameras – which cost $137 each – by punching it “repeatedly.”
Bub told the court that after Ben reported Gray’s harassment to police, she continued to make threats – including once threatening to burn his house down.
He continued: “[Gray said]: ‘It’s not me you have to worry about, it’s Chris… We need a nice fire, don’t we?’.”
Gray was issued a community protection notice later in the summer, which the court heard she broke that same day.
Once arrested and charged, Gray’s case dragged through the courts, being adjourned multiple times for a variety of reasons.
On one occasion, Gray absconded from court after the case was adjourned, prompting a desperate police search and a warrant for her arrest.
But after she was eventually caught and brought before a crown court judge, the prosecutor said “no evidence” had been provided by police, and the charge was dropped.
Ben told Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court that Gray’s abusive campaign had left him feeling “embarrassed, humiliated, numb” and even “suicidal”.
In his witness statement, written last December, he said: “To put it simply, this situation has completely taken over my life.
“What should have been a happy and exciting time for me – owning and living in my first home – has turned into a living nightmare.
“I don’t feel safe in my own home anymore and live in a state of numbness caused by anxiety and depression.
“Instead of being a place where I can relax and unwind, it’s a place where I’m constantly on edge, waiting for the next abusive episode from Miss Gray.
“Every day I feel trapped, knowing she’s right below me, ready to scream abuse at me, make threats and continuously taunt me and my partner.
“Her threats towards me are terrifying. She regularly shouts that people are waiting to ‘break my legs’ or ‘cut my throat’.
“These outbursts come out of nowhere, completely unprovoked, and leave me shaken and scared.
“There have been multiple times when I have called the police due to the threats to kill and have not left my property through fear.
“I can’t remember the last time I felt at ease. Many days I’ve just felt hopeless and numb.
“I have become very withdrawn and stopped doing the things I used to enjoy because I’ve lost the energy and motivation.
“My family has noticed a huge change in my personality. The situation has even impacted my relationship with my partner.
“In the summer of 2024, things became so unbearable that I’d avoid coming home altogether and stay with friends.
“At night, I now have to wear earplugs and turn on a fan just to try and drown out the noise of shouting, swearing and non-stop abuse.
“The constant stress has also taken a toll on my physical health. I’ve been sleep-deprived because of Miss Gray’s shouting and abusive behavior, which eventually ended up in me losing my job.
“Thankfully, I’ve managed to find a new job with understanding employers, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still dealing with this nightmare every day.
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“The stress and lack of sleep leave me physically drained all the time. I feel embarrassed and stuck.
“I feel like I have no way out, which has led to suicidal thoughts before I was taking my medication.
“This situation has left me feeling broken – mentally, physically and emotionally.
“I feel like my life has been on pause for 18 months because of Miss Gray’s actions.
“I’ve lost my peace of mind, my health, my job, and even the ability to enjoy my home.
“I just want to feel safe and normal again.”
After reading the same impact statement at a magistrates’ court appearance earlier this month, Ben added that he and his partner had been “failed” by every authority.
“I have lost complete faith in all of the public services that are there to protect us,” he said.
“This case has been adjourned five times. Every time you adjourn for four or five weeks, it’s just a number for you… But for me and my partner, it’s thinking about it night after night.
“The police, the courts… Everyone has failed us.”
Gray read a personal letter to the judge out in court, in which she apologized for her actions but also claimed Ben had used her as “bait” to make his partner ‘jealous’.
Her defence advocate, Tammy Sher, also told the court several car accidents had driven her to alcohol, and that she too has suffered from suicidal thoughts.
But Judge Lodder said she “deserved” her sentence, telling her: “You were given many a warning. You chose to ignore these warnings and breach the notices that were served upon you.
“I am aware of the consequences of your behavior: [the victims] were frightened in their own homes, incapable of relaxing.
“You induced in them panic attacks and sleep deprivation.
“[Ben] lost his job, but fortunately obtained another.
“I can wholly understand why he says he became suicidal in his thinking and desperate, because you ignored council and court orders.
“It’s significant that [Ben] said, ‘I just want to feel safe and normal again’.
“His partner has had similar experiences. [She has had] to witness the affect on her partner.
“You have 18 convictions for 40 offences. Your offending has been aggravated by alcohol.
“In my view, you deserve a sentence of 40 months’ imprisonment.”
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A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service said: “Drina Gray conducted herself appallingly, and we extend our sympathies to her victim, who endured an unrelenting campaign of harassment.
“The defendant admitted to numerous offences – including harassment and criminal damage – following a Met investigation. She awaits sentencing for these.
“Adjournments in case hearings are at the discretion of the courts. A charge of escaping from court on Wednesday, 26 March, was initially brought against Gray by the Met.
“However, this was later discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service.”
Cllr Aydin Dikerdem, a WBC Cabinet member for housing, said he accepted the authority could have acted faster following Ben’s serious complaints about his neighbor.
“Wandsworth Council takes crime and anti-social behavior (ASB) very seriously, and we work with partners to both support residents and to take the appropriate action against those responsible,” he said.
“This is a complex case where housing officers have been working closely with a number of different agencies, including the Police, to resolve the matter.71
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“An ASB Case Review was completed and recommendations were made, with the community safety team engaging with the affected neighbors.
“Following the recent criminal hearing, the Council have obtained an injunction to prevent this individual returning to the property and we are continuing to seek possession of this property.
“We accept that we could have acted more swiftly, and following this case changes are being made to our ASB case management system to ensure the appropriate actions are taken more promptly and that complainants are kept updated.
“Council officers have met with the individuals affected to discuss what further support could be provided.”
‘Nightmare’ neighbor racially abused family, urged son to urinate on car
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Videos show a ”nightmare” resident racially abusing his neighbors – and telling his son to urinate on their car.
Michael Atkinson is seen threatening and abusing the Chapman-Clegg family in a series of aggressive tirades.
One video shows Atkinson encouraging his son to urinate on their vehicle and telling his son: “This is on camera. I don’t care, boy.”
In another video, the “neighbour [neighbor] -from-hell” threatens to “stamp” on the heads of Martina Chapman-Clegg and her partner Andy and using racist and sexualized abuse.
In another video vile Atkinson can be seen walking in front of the camera and putting his thumbs up – before threatening to “burn” both of the family’s cars.
He then takes photographs of the family’s CCTV camera and says: “I hope that camera has voice recording you pair of sh*thouses”.
The harassment by the dad-of-three, who has 183 crimes to his name, went on “relentlessly” and had such an impact that the family had to move.
Mrs. Chapman-Clegg said police officers advised her to leave the house in East Malling in Kent where she had lived for 11 years.
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The family were moved into temporary accommodation for seven months by the council until a new permanent home was available, where they now live.
Atkinson, of East Malling, Kent, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment between February 19 and March 3 last year.
Atkinson initially denied the offenses when he appeared at Magistrates Court.
However, when his case was sent to the Crown Court, he pleaded guilty.
He was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court last week for 27 weeks and handed a five-year restraining order banning contact with his former neighbours.
Martina, 40, said: “We were so happy and content there and then he came and completely ruined our lives. We were essentially made homeless.
“It was almost like an obsession. He was obsessed with harassing us as a family.
“It had a huge impact on me, whether that be my confidence in being able to go to the shop with my family and feel safe or having to look over my shoulder constantly.
“You read about it in the news, about neighbours [neighbors] from hell, but you do not expect to experience it and not on the continuous level that it was.
“The acts that were carried out such as having to to watch your car being urinated up against and continuous threats every single night, it was just relentless.
“It has massively impacted us as a family and although we have been moved now, we are still locking our front doors and our windows.”
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In one clip played at the sentencing hearing, Mrs. Chapman-Clegg was stood on her doorstep as the 37-year-old unleashed his tirade, initially over a garden fence and then a hedge dividing the two properties.
Shouting and swearing, he threatened the mum saying “I will smash your ****ing head in, I will stamp on your ****ing head and your sl*t business”, before crudely resorting to the racial insult.
Another clip showed the foul-mouthed builder walking directly up to Mrs. Chapman-Clegg, before returning to the property boundaries to continue his rant, which included a racist comment about having sexual relations with black men.
Prosecutor Trevor Wright told the court: “There was a lot of shouting and a lot of words said…Other footage was pretty much of a muchness and included intimidating behaviour [behavior] – Atkinson telling his son to urinate on the car and then cheering him having done so.
“There was another where Atkinson was insulting towards the camera and using the word “nonce”, added Mr. Wright. “These are just examples of the way the defendant was behaving and provoking, particularly to Mrs. Chapman-Clegg.”
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In a victim impact statement written by Mrs. Chapman-Clegg and read to the court, she expressed the “devastation and detrimental effects” she and her family felt as a consequence of Atkinson’s harassment.
She also explained how it “broke her heart” for people to be subjected to “vile and vulgar abuse” simply because of race.
The court was also told that during the family’s 999 call, one of their children could be heard screaming in fear and still suffers night terrors.
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Atkinson, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, Asperger’s, depression and anxiety, was said to have been breaking the law every year of his life since he was 16, racking up multiple offenses including threatening behavior, harassment, intimidation, battery and assault.
The court also heard that he was born suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome, does not know who his father is, his mother was murdered when he was just 10 and, having said to have been failed by the system, his offending began in what was effectively a “cry for help”.
But his barrister told the sentencing hearing that the recovering alcoholic, now 18 months sober, wanted her to apologize on his behalf for his behavior, much of which occurred when he had been drinking.
“I am instructed to say very little about the offence [offense] itself because he understands, regardless of any provocation or distaste between parties, it was unacceptable,” said Donna Longcroft.
“As for the racial element, he asks me to apologise [apologize] on his behalf. That language is not language he would usually use.
“He accepts the way he reacted was wrong and should have responded to his emotions in a totally different way. Perhaps without the alcohol he could have done.”
Ms Longcroft added that his time in custody had been “fruitful” in terms of obtaining qualifications and that, as his marriage has now broken down, he plans on his release to live with his uncle in Ashford.
“In short, he has held his hands up, taken steps to own his behaviour [behavior] and to redirect his lifestyle,” the barrister added.
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Passing sentence, Recorder James Dawes KC said that his abuse was “very shameful” and had had “considerable impact”.
“You lose something of yourself because something inside you is lessened by saying such an insult to someone,” explained the judge.
“You should not do it, you know you should not do it, and if you need an incentive not to do it, every time you do, something inside you dies.
“But the effect on someone else can be substantial because the fear is that they could be attacked, not because they have done something wrong but simply because of the way they look, and that is a serious matter.
“If you had that said to you and if you had that fear, then you would be equally upset, and if you think you have had bad things happen to you, then you are simply adding to those bad things by doing that to someone else.
“But you carried on, on a number of days, and you encouraged your children to urinate on their car.
“Your threats of violence included headbutting her (Mrs. Chapman-Clegg’s) partner, and you just continued to insult them day after day.”
But the recorder added that while Atkinson had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was to be “congratulated” for his sobriety, his mitigation was outweighed by the aggravating factors of the case.
“The long-term effects of having that fear installed into you have massively affected our mental health…”
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As a result, the appropriate punishment could only be achieved by way of an immediate jail term of 27 weeks.
Atkinson, who was subject to a Kent Police ‘Wanted’ appeal earlier this year concerning a court warrant and harassment, is currently serving 120 days for breach of a suspended sentence imposed for an unrelated driving offense.
As he was led from the dock he was heard to utter: “Money, money, money.”
The Chapman-Cleggs, who sat in the public gallery throughout the hearing, were praised by the judge for their bravery in attending court.
Speaking afterwards, she told KentOnline she feels her family have finally got the justice they deserve.
She added: “It has been horrific on the children. They are traumatised [traumatized] and we are trying to convince them it is now OK and we are safe now.
“It is still hard to talk about because although he has been sentenced, which is what he deserves, the long-term effects of having that fear installed into you have massively affected our mental health as a family.67
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“Hopefully with time and now we have the restraining order for five years, it will just dissipate eventually.
“For us, it is the restraining order that means the most so we have that security for a long time. It is really important for us as a family to have that.
“You can trust the justice system to do the right thing. We put ourselves out there so our children can see we can stand up to bullies and racists.”
