Nightmare neighbour, 85, got on roof and challenged family to a fight

An 85-year-old nightmare neighbour who has waged a 40-year war on residents in his street, will spend this summer wearing an electronic tag after being ordered to stay indoors. John Bushell’s next-door neighbours say his 40-year campaign of hate has driven them to despair. Bushell was given a restraining order against the Mills family in 1998 after repeatedly harrassing his neighbours in the plush Tyneside cul-de-sac. But since then he has breached the order three times and was even jailed for three months in 2001 for continuing to abuse the family.

But Bushell, it seems, did not learn his lesson and was brought before the court once more after he was caught harassing the family yet again. A judge, however, spared him jail on this occasion on the condition he allows his neighbours to live in peace. In the latest incident, Bushell climbed up to his garage roof in Mill Crescent, Hebburn, and hurled foul-mouthed abuse at grandmother-of-three Marjorie Mills, 65, as she relaxed in her garden and challenged her and her family to a fight.



Mrs Mills ignored the insults and retired inside but three days later Bushell was at it again, this time abusing husband Ken, also 65. Keith Laidlaw, prosecuting, told how Mr Mills was delivering a letter to a different neighbour when Bushell climbed up to the garage and launched another tirade, calling him a “65-year-old vandal” and a “parcel of ****”. Bushell, a former bookie, admitted three counts of harassment and breaching a restraining order between August 16 and August 19 last year. After hearing details of the case, District Judge Roger Elsey said “only a custodial sentence” was justified.

However, the judge suspended the prison term, but warned him he will activate the sentence if there is any more bother with the Mills family in the future. He said: “I am sentencing you to eight weeks for each, suspended for nine months and an eight-week curfew between 3pm and 8pm, Tuesday to Friday. Your neighbours will have the opportunity to enjoy their garden, and you will be able to enjoy yours at weekends. At your age, wearing a tag is something you have brought upon yourself.” Bushell was also ordered to pay £400 court costs.