Cambridgeshire man jailed after attacking car with baseball bat during campaign of harassment

A man who smashed up a neighbour’s car during a campaign of harassment has been jailed.

James Dickson, 39, caused £15,000 of damage to the car with a baseball bat and was convicted of criminal damage in May this year.

He was handed a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his neighbour in Larch Close, Yaxley, near Peterborough, but he continued to hurl abuse at the victim blaming her for his conviction and calling her a “low life”.

Officers arrested him and in police interview Dickson admitted he had breached his restraining order. But just two weeks before he was due in court, he appeared outside the victim’s home, yelling abuse again.

He repeatedly knocked on her door and used a brick to smash her car lights, wing mirrors and panels. He only threw away the brick when another neighbour told him to stop.

Dickson was arrested and in interview told police “no excuse doing what he did” and added he had been slightly intoxicated.

Dickson, from Yaxley, was jailed for a year and one month at Cambridge Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of harassment, breaching a restraining order and criminal damage.

After the conviction Police said: "Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.”

PC Dan Green, who investigated, said: “Dickson pursued a sustained campaign of harassment towards his neighbour, which led to her feeling unsafe in her own home and put her through a great deal of stress.

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