A Bedminster woman cried tears of happiness after her curfew was changed to allow her in her garden.
Nichola Carvin, of Martock Crescent, was given an electronic tag and ordered not to leave her home overnight for six weeks after being found guilty of harassing a neighbour by pulling up her plants.
Wearing a beige trench coat and black handbag, the 53-year-old appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (October 13).
She asked District Judge Lynne Matthews if the boundary of her curfew – which is in place from 7pm to 7am – could include her garden.
Calvin said: “I can’t control when my dogs go to the loo. Sorry, I’m getting emotional.”
Asked if she could call the dogs back inside, she replied: “Sometimes they come back but because I feed the birds, sometimes my dogs run after them.”
The district judge told her Calvin she could go in her garden from 7pm that evening.
Calvin broke into tears and said: “I can let them out? I can let them out tonight. Oh, thank you.”
As she left the courtroom while continuing to cry with happiness, the usher observed: “Another satisfied customer.”
The curfew was imposed because Calvin pulled up Maria Trado’s plants, banged on her window and door, threw water on her window and put rubbish by her front door.
She was also “aggressive and abusive” towards the victim, says the court listing for her October 9 trial.
The offences happened from July to September last year, on Greenway Bush Lane in Southville – where Carvin used to live.
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Carvin denied the offences but was found guilty at the Bristol Magistrates’ Court trial.
On top of the curfew, she was handed 120 unpaid work hours and a year-long restraining order.
She was ordered to pay £300 in prosecution costs, £150 in compensation and an £85 victim surcharge.
