27 October 2023 , 13:31
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A teacher-turned-model who terrorised her neighbour out of town after purchasing a £15,000 beach hut has lost an expensive court battle.
Michele Spicer, 60, claimed she was evicted from her "mermaid heaven", in Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, in 2021, because locals became "jealous" of her beauty. However, she was taken to court for a string of antisocial behaviour incidents directed against one ex-neighbour in particular.
The former teacher treated herself to her "pride and joy" beach hut after going through a divorce. But she was soon hit with a string of complaints to Worthing Borough Council for her reckless parking of her Mercedes and loud music.
Ms Spicer was left furious after she was evicted from her 'pride and joy' (Robin Lloyd Williams / SWNS)Ms Spicer became the first person in 25 years to be evicted from a beach hut - she believed her neighbour hatched a plot to get her booted out from the property, which prompted her to launch a hostile "revenge campaign." She previously said: "I didn’t do anything wrong – but because I model and I have a nice car, they have a certain impression of me."
London's High Court heard how her neighbour would hide her face with a hoodie and sunglasses so she could go to the shop in peace. She later fled the area and switched jobs in a bid to avoid Ms Spicer. Her behaviour became so extreme, the model was slapped with an anti-harassment injunction. However, she "continued to harass and intimidate" the victim, reports Metro.
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Locals said she blared music from her Mercedes radio (Robin Lloyd Williams / SWNS)
Ms Spicer purchased the hut after her divorce (Michele Spicer / SWNS)Judge Richard Pearce found her in contempt of court for breaching the injunction. He issued her a 24-week jail sentence, suspended for two years. The former teacher was ordered to pay her former neighbour's legal fees She was also ordered to stump up the costs of her former neighbour’s legal bills, which lawyers have estimated as £53,000. The victim has been given anonymity by Judge Pearce. Her barrister, Kate Strange, said Michele called the victim a "vulture" on Instagram and drove her out of the area, ruining her life.
Neighbours begged her to stop leaving her car outside the hut (Michele Spicer / SWNS)Ms Spicer agreed she breached several parts of the injunction by posting "abusive content" on her social media account. Ms Strange said: "The harassment complained of by the claimant included verbal abuse, pestering behaviour, intimidation and photographing, and recording of the claimant without her consent."
The judge was told Ms Spicer is "extremely remorseful" and stressed there has been no physical contact between the pair. Ruling, Judge Pearce acknowledged Ms Spicer's sensitive mental health and said he was "on a very narrow balance persuaded to suspend this sentence".