Woman 'made obscene comments about neighbour'

A wealthy property developer repeatedly made obscene comments about her neighbour's genitalia as part of a relentless campaign of abuse against those living around her, a court heard today.

Patricia Bailey, 60, would peer through their windows, swear as they went past and used homophobic and racist language while living in Collingwood House in New Cavendish Street, Westminster, central London.

She was made subject to an indefinite Asbo covering the whole of England and Wales as a result of the behaviour, but is appealing against the order.

Today, actor Russell Simpson told Southwark Crown Court that her constant references to his penis made him believe that she had spied on him naked.

He claims she told him: "Get your Irish dick away from my door", along with a string of other comments making reference to his penis, once in front of his young nephew.

Mr Simpson moved into his flat in 2006 and told the court that she complained about him and his fiancee leaving washing on the balcony.

This turned into "just a rant, a really serious rant" during which she called the couple working class and said "this building isn't a council estate", he said.

Mr Simpson and his fiancee, Nina Jamil, were subjected to constant abuse by Bailey, the court heard.

He said: "It was erratic, it was on and off. There would be a few days of quiet and that would be followed by another cycle of random and unprovoked abuse which took on all kinds of forms."

In July 2008 the couple began filming millionairess Bailey, setting up a camera in their living room to capture her looking through the windows while they were out.

One night they even caught her climbing into their living room, and said she would constantly check whether they were leaving or entering their flat.

Mr Simpson said: "It's this insidious provocation all the time until it gets to the point of explosion and then she plays the victim."

According to a witness statement from Peter Glover, who worked for Westminster Council, she branded another of her neighbours, John Andrews, an "alcoholic murderer".

The pub landlord asked a colleague to walk him home every night for fear that Bailey, who now lives in St John's Wood Road, St John's Wood, west London, would start an argument, Mr Glover said.

She also said Sharon Banoff, who lived nearby, was evil because she had a twitch in her eye.

The court was played a tape recording of a 999 call during which Bailey claimed that Mr Simpson and Mr Andrews were trying to break into her flat.

She told the operator: "My life is in danger, and my husband's".

But Mr Simpson said that the banging in the clip was Bailey knocking on her own door and that the idea that they had tried to break in was "complete fabrication".

Under the Asbo, Bailey is banned from using "threatening, abusive, aggressive or obscene language or behaviour" in any public place in England or Wales.

She is also barred from contacting her former neighbours.

The appeal will continue at a later date which has yet to be fixed.