'Jealous' mum waged hate campaign against neighbour believing she had affair with boyfriend

Ashleigh Jackson, 37, repeatedly abused a woman who was left afraid to leave her home and even fearing for her life at the height of the hate campaign against her

A "jealous" mum waged a hate campaign against a neighbour whom she falsely believed was having an affair with her boyfriend.

Ashleigh Jackson, 37, of Sandbach Road, Sale, Trafford,banged on the woman's front door branding her a "tramp" before messaging her on Facebook accusing her of having an affair with her then-partner Nathan Lee.

Prosecutor Emma Clarke told Manchester Crown Court: "She told her she was mistaken and started to ignore her. The following day the defendant shouted at the victim calling her a 's***' in front of her child."

Jackson's abusive behaviour escalated with the mum sending the neighbour multiple messages on Instagram calling her a "tramp" and a "dark b****." That same one Jackson banged on her door and shouted.

“The next day the defendant knocked on her door and she chose to open it to try and diffuse the situation," Ms Clarke added, The Manchester Evening News reported. "She asked to see the woman' s emails, she said her partner was in prison and believed he had been communicating with her."

That same night three men were spotted outside the woman's home before her kitchen window was smashed. Jackson was not charged in connection with that particular incident.

The neighbour was further subjected to abusive messages before a rock was thrown into her bedroom. The woman said she felt unsafe to leave her home.

Officers later arrested Jackson for harassment and she went on to tell them: "You can’t arrest me, it was Nathan, he’s doing this. Ring forest Bank, Nathan’s doing it from the inside."

The court heard Lee was jailed earlier this year for attacking a man while inside Jackson's home. She was released under investigation and told not to contact the neighbour.

But Jackson continued to message her and went to her home where she called her offensive names. In one incident the woman checked her Ring doorbell when she saw Jackson who shouted: "[Name] you're a f****** s***." The prosecutor added: "She later heard bangs on her front door and called the police as the defendant was outside screaming 'you have been in my house again'. This left her feeling terrified,

"Events escalated on March 3 when the woman was walking back from the shop with her young daughter. She saw a black Mercedes reverse onto a road before driving towards her at speed. She retreated onto a driveway to avoid getting hit, and recognised it was the defendant who was driving.

“The defendant shouted at her and accused her of being in her house. The complainant ran home, as she did the defendant reversed the vehicle and shouted ‘I’m going to do something to your face'."

Several days later, when the woman was watching TV, she heard a banging noise on the kitchen window. She later notice the window frame had been dislodged.

Jackson was further arrested and interviewed and claimed the woman had been into her home. Jackson went to her home on another occasion and claimed she had stolen £100 from her.

Judge Alan Conrad KC said: “This was misplaced jealousy on the defendant’s part.” The woman said in a statement that she "genuinely feared her life was at risk." She added it had impacted her mental health.

Rachel Cooper, defending, said her client, who does not have previous convictions, was suffering from psychosis at the time due to trauma from previous relationships, witnessing Lee's assault and the death of her grandmother.

“It took time for her family and friends to realise this person is unwell,” she added. "She was putting holes in the wall of her own home and believed people were covering themselves in gel to make themselves invisible. She was not capable of understanding her behaviour or appreciating what she was doing.”

Ms Cooper said Jackson had been hospitalised in April and remained there for a month. She added her client was on medication and was being supported by community mental health specialists.

Sentencing Jackson, Judge Alan Conrad KC said he understood she had been suffering from psychosis that rended her "seriously mentally unwell." “I am satisfied these offences came about due to mental illness and irrational beliefs as the conduct of your behaviour was fuelled by your toxic relationship,” Judge Conrad said.

Jackson was sentenced to an 18-month community order, 25 days of rehabilitation and 18-month mental health requirements. She previously admitted harassment; dangerous driving; and criminal damage. She was banned from driving for a year and made the subject of a restraining order.