'Noisy sex' woman spared jail for second time

A woman who made her neighbours' lives hell by having noisy sex has been spared jail for a second time. Caroline Cartwright admitted breaching an Asbo for a fourth time while "screaming" during sex with husband Steve, and playing loud music. Appearing at Newcastle Crown Court, the 49-year-old, of Hall Road, Washington, was given a 12-week prison term suspended for a year. She was told she would go to jail if she breached the order again.

The hearing was told how complaints about Mrs Cartwright's "shouting and screaming" during sex and her playing loud dance music had been ongoing for years. Neighbours, a postman and a woman taking her child to school originally complained about the noise to police, and she was given a noise abatement notice. She breached this notice five times and was made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) in April 2005.



In January this year she received an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for breaching the Asbo three times. But in March her neighbour, Rachel O'Connor, called the police after hearing Mrs Cartwright shouting and screaming. Mrs Cartwright said: "I have tried to minimise the situation by having sex in the morning - not at night - so the noise was not waking anybody."

Recorder Jeremy Freedman told her that her guilty pleas had saved her from jail. He said: "It is clear to this court you have made your neighbours' lives thoroughly miserable and disturbed their sleep so they are tired when they go to work. It is in my judgment that this is thoroughly selfish behaviour. If you breach this Asbo you will be going to prison. This court is giving you one last chance."