A court admonished the “childish” behaviour of a couple with 10 children for blocking their neighbour’s car and warned that petty issues could “escalate into more serious matters”.
Samina Delaney, 40, and Shahid Iqbal, 38, of Radcliffe near Bury, were accused of deliberately parking their car so close to their neighbour Natalie Allison’s vehicle that she was unable to move it.
Iqbal was caught on CCTV cameras blocking her car on the day residents were required to move their cars from the street for essential gas and maintenance works. He also made verbal comments and gestures at his neighbour’s CCTV camera. The incident took place during the lockdown in 2020.
The couple, now expecting their 11th child, were also accused of vandalising three large conifer trees belonging to Allison and hammering on her front door.
In a statement, Allison said two years ago, "I am a female living on my own. I have been dealing with constant issues from my neighbours for the last two and a half years that have been causing me a lot of stress and anxiety, to the extent of me being scared to leave my own house, due to being in fear of what I might encounter when I do.”
“I feel completely trapped in my own home. Especially in this moment in time more than ever, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is on lockdown, which means I can't just get away from it all, leave my address and stay somewhere else because I'm not allowed to,” she said.
“I am isolated from my family and friends who would usually give me that extra reassurance. I have fitted up-to-date CCTV cameras on my home to help me identify and give me proof who is causing me all this harassment. This has also cost me a lot of money and time. I just want to live a quiet life, being able to live in my home without any issues.”
Wigan Magistrates Court which heard the case saw the charge of criminally damaging the trees withdrawn.
But the couple admitted to harassment and were fined the couple £108 each plus £134 in costs.
Sara Moreton who headed the bench said, “This was totally childish behaviour, no other words can describe it. Such pettiness and neighbourhood issues can easily escalate to more serious matters, but this was totally childish.''
Couple with 10 children labelled 'petty' for waging two-year battle against neighbour over parking
Samina Delaney, 40 and Shahid Iqbal, 38, were charged with harassment
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event