An ongoing row between neighbours has left a woman homeless after she was banned from the street where she has lived for 32 years - and is now sleeping in her car.
Barbra Aitchison, 57, stated that she is 'frightened' for her future and was heartbroken that she can't even make herself a cup of tea on the street where she raised her son.
Aitchison, from Rotherham, was jailed in July at Sheffield Magistrates' Court after being found guilty of racially aggravated harassment and racially aggravated common assault, reports Yorkshire Live.
The court was told how she subjected her victims to verbal and physical abuse and even followed them to work, grabbing and assaulting one of her victims on one occasion.
The attacks took place between March and June 2020 and left Aitchison's victims living in fear, where they were 'afraid to leave their homes'.
She was also served an indefinite restraining order which bans her from contact, directly or indirectly, with her victims.
Barbra was released from prison last week and said she feels like her home has been ‘stripped away’ from her.
She claims there has been a ‘miscarriage of justice’ and feels like the restraining order which was placed on her was unjust.
Barbra said: “I’m a vulnerable person. And now I’m so frightened for my future. They kicked me out of my house of 32 years.
“I got locked up and lost all of my benefits. If I didn’t have friends I wouldn’t even have a cup of tea or a shower.
“I have been treated like a second-class citizen. I’ve been abandoned.
“Now I have nowhere to live. I’ve got really bad mental health and it’s been such a big struggle.
“I’m finding it so difficult. My home has been stripped away from me.”
Barbra claims that she and the neighbour on her street were friendly at first but their relationship soured over the years.
She claims that there had been complaints about music and eventually she started receiving ‘hostile messages’.
Barbra said she was shocked when she was arrested by police in June.
She said she now wants to return to the home where she raised her son and her grandchild.
Barbra added: "I just want to go back home to where I have lived for 32 years. It's where I raised my son.
"I used to bring him out to the park just round the corner. I just want my old life back."
Following her sentencing, South Yorkshire Police said the residents on the street were ‘repeatedly racially abused and harassed’.
Hate Crime Officer PC Chris Nicholson said: "Aitchison’s victims lived in fear and ended up being afraid to leave their homes in case they were confronted.
"This was a prolonged and drawn out series of offences which has had a significant impact on the victims, who have been repeatedly racially abused and harassed.
"We are pleased that Aitchison has received a custodial sentence alongside her restraining order, it sends a signal that this type of criminality will be dealt with.
"Any form of hate crime or abuse is totally unacceptable and I want people to know that where these kind of offences are committed, and where we can gather supporting evidence, South Yorkshire Police will pursue justice."
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