A lesbian couple were forced to quit their home after they were hounded by a neighbour who spotted them kissing through their living room window, a court heard
Nurse Faye Mallon and counsellor Lydia Henshall were subjected to foul mouthed homophobic abuse by former gym owner Kim Armstrong who called them 'naughty disrespectful girls.'
During a hate campaign father-of-two Armstrong would repeatedly drive his vehicle into the couple's car and also filled their wheelie bin with medical waste, a court was told.
When confronted by the two women he retorted: "'Am I bothered? You're the f**king weirdos" and he also dismissed the couple as "fat lesbians."
Ms Mallon, 26 and Ms Henshall, 27 later moved out of their home in Stockport, Greater Manchester to get away from the abuse.
Ms Mallon told police: "I think he is behaving like this due to me being in a relationship.
"I recall him looking in through our lounge window and he saw us being affectionate towards each other. I believe that is when he started behaving in this way.
"The ongoing situation has had an impact on my mental health. It has caused me anxiety and most recently I have to take three days off work sick."
Ms Henshall said: "I feel like he was targeting myself and Faye and we just want it to stop. His behaviour was causing a lot of stress to us both and I was constantly worrying about what might happen next.
"I felt like I could never fully relax when I was at home and I felt like Kim was trying to make our lives as uncomfortable as possible in an attempt to make us move. We loved our home and we have spent a lot of money on it and we should not feel like we are being forced out of it.
"I work very hard and when I come home, I want to enjoy life without having to constantly check cameras and wonder what he is going to happen next."
Stockport magistrates were told the incidents occurred between March and April last year when the parties lived next door to each other.
Prosecutor Dave Holland said: "Relation between them were not good.
"Mr Armstrong would be seen driving his vehicle into a car belonging to one of the victims. It was just a tap where his car touched her bumper but there was some damage to the bumper.
"One of the victims was putting rubbish in the bin and found it filled with medical waste with one of their names on it.
"They spoke to the defendant but when questioned, he said: 'Yeah right, you fat lesbian f**king weirdo' before walking off mumbling.
"Due to the damage to the car, the complainants were given a hire vehicle but the defendant caused damage to that hire car in the same way.
"Following that, the victims were attending to their car and further words were exchanged.
"One of the victims said to the defendant, 'You have just bumped into my car again,' but he replied, 'Am I bothered?' He then said, 'You are the f**king weirdos you pair of fat c**ts.' Later the exact same set of circumstances happened again with the cars.
"The victims have had to move house following this. There was hostility at the time. It seems the defendant looked through their window and saw them being affectionate to one another."
Armstrong, 63, pleaded guilty to harassment.
A probation officer who complied a background report on him said: "He clearly blames the victims in this situation and feels it is he who is the victim. He says they were abusive and that Faye was the main aggressor.
"He described the two women as 'naughty disrespectful girls' and in his eyes he has not done anything wrong. He is very rigid in his thinking and outlook."
Armstrong's lawyer Steven McHugh: "This is a straightforward neighbour's dispute. My client does treat women with dignity but when they in his mind cross the line, he deals with them accordingly although he has to be pushed to do so.
"He says, there was loud music and rows etc and he went to complain in a gentle manner but was told to 'f**k off' and 'go away and die,' and it was this that set the stall out.
"The victims have moved on but he says he has not forced anyone to move. His thinking may be a little distorted by today's values - he has admitted everything but the homophobic element.
"There was one phrase 'fat lesbian' but he has not shouted this up and down the street. There were other words exchanged on both sides. My client feels aggrieved he is here and they are not."
Armstrong was sentenced to a 12 month community order and was ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation requirement days.
He will be electronically tagged for three months as part of 7pm to 7am curfew and pay £395 in costs and surcharges.
JP Neil Brettell said: "This sentencing exercise has not been easy as we consider there could have been aggravation on both sides. "
