Gardener, 57, who cut down next-door neighbour’s washing line in row which escalated after she spurned offer to do more work for her avoids jail

A gardener has been spared jail after successively cutting down his neighbour’s washing line ‘out of all proportion’.

Gary Jeffs, 57, was very proud of his garden and was furious when neighbor Angela Singleton put up blankets and towels to block the view of her hot tub from surrounding properties, magistrates were told.

Jeffs believed the laundry outside Mrs Singleton’s bungalow was an eyesore.

Magistrates heard that at some point during the dispute with Jeffs she discovered her clothesline had been cut.

Gary Jeffs outside his home in Pensarn, North Wales, after his sentencing at Llandudno Courts yesterday

At a sentencing hearing at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court (above), District Judge Gwyn Jones yesterday imposed an eight-week suspended prison sentence.

The suspect was also accused of breaking off gate bars, honking his car’s horn, making threatening comments, throwing a sheet on the ground, filming Ms Singleton’s garden with a mobile phone and making obscene gestures towards his neighbor’s house.

The court heard Jeffs’ actions had caused his victim ‘significant psychological harm’ and ‘significant pain and trauma’.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said the victim had lived for eight years in her bungalow next to Jeffs and his wife in the village of Pensarn, on the North Wales coast, near Abergele.

Her relationship with Jeffs deteriorated when she turned down an offer from him to do more paid gardening for her, which the court criticized harshly.

The dispute led to police becoming involved and Jeffs was charged with harassment between March 15 and June 29 last year.

Although he denied the accusation, he was found guilty after a trial.

At a hearing at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, District Judge Gwyn Jones imposed an eight-week suspended prison sentence.

Judge Jones told him: ‘It is an old-fashioned neighborly dispute which has unfortunately been blown way out of proportion and has caused a lot of pain and trauma to so many parties.’

He added: ‘There was significant psychological harm as a result of the victim having to make significant changes to her life, namely moving house.’

Jeffs had told a probation officer he was trying to raise his fence panels to avoid looking at the washing line, the court heard.

In a preliminary report, the probation officer said there had been problems with a hot tub.

Shortly before the dispute began, Jeffs had also discovered that he had lost £150,000 which he had invested for his pension, which had affected his mental state.

Defense lawyer Chris Dawson said his client had no previous convictions and there was no violence involved in the case.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Jeffs must also pay £500 compensation and £500 costs and was issued a four-year restraining order.