Frances Brough also cut down a shrub in her victims’ garden, let herself into their house without permission, smeared mud on their ring doorbell camera and sent them bogus legal letters
A former solicitor was captured on a ring doorbell urinating on her neighbours’ doorstep during a bizarre harassment campaign. Frances Brough also cut down a shrub in her victims’ garden, let herself into their house without permission, smeared mud on their doorbell camera and sent them bogus legal letters.
A court heard that the 52-year-old, from Shilbottle, near Alnwick, targeted her neighbours, a couple who lived away from the area and used the house next door to Brough as a holiday home, between February and November 2023. She was arrested and charged with two counts each of harassment and criminal damage but pleaded not guilty to the offences.
Her case was listed for trial last week but Brough failed to show and the case was proved in her absence. She appeared in the dock in custody at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court three days later after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Jonathan Stirland, prosecuting, said Brough, of Northside, in Shilbottle, was initially friendly with her neighbours and they gave her a key to their property to get any bills while they were away. However, the couple soon suspected she was accessing their house outside of that reason and without their permission, so they asked for the key back.
Mr Stirland said: “The victims installed CCTV and, on February 18 2023, it captured the defendant entering the address and switching on an electric heater. On February 19, the ring doorbell was activated and the defendant was seen squatting in the doorway and appeared to urinate while saying “having a wee wee”.
“She also smeared mud on the lens of the camera. She was arrested and bailed.” The court heard, however, that Brough continued to harass the couple by sending them three bogus letters supposedly from a legal firm.
