A WOMAN who persistently breached an intervention order against her long-term neighbour has been given a good behaviour bond.
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The woman appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to the breaches.
The court heard there had been a 10-year dispute between the woman and victim over issues with access to a water pump.
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The victim had a personal safety notice in place from March 2019, whereby the woman could not contact, stalk, or be within five metres of the victim.
The court heard on May 1, 2019 the woman breached the order by posting about the victim on a post from a public Facebook group.
The woman also sent a series of text messages to the victim in July and October of that year.
The court heard then on December 12, 2019, the victim and her husband were fixing a fence at their property.
That morning, the woman spent about 30 minutes driving past the victims, yelling abuse.
The victims filmed the incident. The woman also filmed the incident on an iPad.
Police arrived a short time later and interviewed the woman. She told officers she believed the victims were trespassing on her property.
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The woman also sent a series of abusive text messages to the victim on July 10 last year.
Defence lawyer Felix Ralph told the court his client was planning to move interstate, meaning the "epic saga" between the neighbours would come to an end.
Mr Ralph submitted the woman should not be convicted as the breaches were at the lower end of the scale.
The defence lawyer said his client had also taken the emotional and financial step to move interstate.
Magistrate Patrick Southey told the court the offending was serious enough to warrant a community corrections order.
But Mr Southey said he could not see the use of the order if the woman was moving interstate.
The magistrate said the woman had pleaded guilty to multiple breaches so it would be a "slap in the face" to the victim if it proceeded without conviction.
The woman was convicted and given a two-year good behaviour bond. She was required to pay $1500 to the court fund.
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Tara Cosoleto
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
