A MUM-of-two racially abused her South African neighbour and falsely branded him a sex offender "because he made too much noise building a guinea pig cage in his garden", a court heard.

Gillian O'Brien, 40, called ex-soldier Terence Oosthuizen a "P**i" and told him to "go back to his own country", in front of his wife and 11-year-old daughter last April.

Stockport Magistrates Court heard how Gilian over-reacted when she saw Mr Oosthuizen using a hand saw to make a wooden hutch for his youngest child's pet.

She popped her head over their Cheshire garden fence and shouted: "Stop making a f***ing noise, I can make a f***ing noise," as his wife and daughter looked on.

She has called me a P**i and a foreigner – I think it might be because of my accent, I am foreign

She then threw several cricket stumps against the fence before adding: "I am going to slit your throat and slit your children's throats".

O'Brien claimed Mr Oosthuizen had harassed her by cutting her washing line and stealing her son's football.

LIVING IN FEAR

The feud began after O'Brien moved into Knutsford in 2012 and soon fell out with Mr Oothuizen who lived at his home since 2005 with wife Sarah and two children.

Mr Oothizen said the feud had worsend the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he suffered since leaving the South African military.

He admitted to the court that he might have suffered the abuse because of his "accent", adding, "I am foreign".

And his children were "terrified" of their neighbour, and the oldest daughter was left "distressed" after the incident.

Prosecuting lawyer Mr Amar Alyas said: "Mr Oosthuizen will say that he tried to ignore the suspect, but she continued by shouting ‘stop stealing my kids’ toys’ and ‘go back to your own country.’

“She then started painting anti-burglary paint on their fence. Mr Oosthuizen’s children are terrified of her. Police were called but the defendant stated that she went out into her garden because he was making an irritating noise, 'like he always does.'

I could hear the lady shouting saying ‘you’re making a f***ing noise again’ and I just thought crikey, I can’t believe what I am hearing.

"She said that the items she was throwing at the fence was rubbish that she was taking to the tip. She said that her neighbour then called her a f***ing b**** and a benefit thief. She said that she never threatened to slit his or his children’s throats.”

Another neighbour, Angela Sharman said: ''I could hear the lady shouting saying ‘you’re making a f..king noise again’ and I just thought crikey, I can’t believe what I am hearing."

O’Brien told the court: “I went into the garden because he was making a noise. I was clearing my garden to take rubbish to the tip and I was throwing it against my fence, not at him.

"He then told me to get a job and called me a stupid b****. I just ignored him and carried on throwing my rubbish into a pile.

"He then said he was going to smash my face in and told me that he was going to shoot me."

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Justice of Peace Ian Shephard told O'Brien: "We find that the evidence provided by you is not consistent or credible. We find that a series of threats were made to Terence Oosthuizen, his wife and his daughter and we find you guilty.

''It’s agreed the argument came from noise being made in your neighbour’s garden when he was making a guinea pig cage.

"Your neighbour said she heard the word ‘country’ used by you and that he told you to get a job.

"We believe that you did say ‘go back to your own country’ so we therefore find you guilty of that as well.''

She will be sentenced on March 22.

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