We all know how petty rows between neighbours can get - but one local feud in Dorset quickly lost control and resulted in one man having revenge sex on his neighbours' parking bollard.
You're probably wondering how on earth we got here.
That's what neighbour Wendie Bryant, 68, is wondering too.
Advert
Tensions quickly grew between pensioner Wendie and her neighbour Lee McConnell, 28, when he parked his VW campervan in her allocated space.
Given how small their 10-house cul-de-sac in Blandford Forum, Dorset is, it's fair to say that parking space is a little tight.
Willing to let Lee away with it at first, Wendie asked his partner if she could pass on the message to Lee not to park there again.
Advert
That simple request was the beginnings of a rocky relationship between Wendie and Lee.
Eventually, Wendie decided to erect a 2ft metal bollard to keep her parking spot reserved. And it'd be an understatement to say that that didn't go down well with Lee.
At first, when she noticed her bollard was being knocked over and interfered with, Wendie decided to install CCTV cameras to monitor what was happening.
Advert
Not only did she catch her neighbour knocking over the bollard but, last October, she caught him emerging from his house in nothing but a pair of flip-flops and proceeding to have sex with his partner over the parking bollard.
Quite a strong reaction, wouldn't you say?
Naturally, Wendie called the police, who arrested Lee McConnell for indecent exposure.
At a Weymouth Magistrates' Court appearance last month, Lee admitted to the charge.
Advert
On Thursday (27 April), McConnell was slapped with an 18 month community order, ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work, and told to pay £250 compensation to Mrs Bryant.
.webp)
Magistrate chair Frederick Fearn said: "This offence is serious enough for us to make a community order."
Speaking in court, prosecutor Sioban Oxley said that the incident 'caused Mrs Bryant considerable distress and she was prescribed medication to deal with the anxiety.’
Advert
Meanwhile, Simon Lacey, mitigating, insisted that Lee's indecent act was 'a one off offence and the defendant has not spoken to Mrs Bryant since'.
He added: "It is difficult for them to live there as the neighbours are not happy and they have decided to move in the near future."
Speaking after McConnell was handed the community order, Wendie said in a statement that she couldn't understand how their disagreement had escalated like it did.
"I just don't understand what he did that night. How the hell did it get to this?" she said.
Ali Condon