Couple jailed over a hedge

A couple who have never been in trouble before began a month-long prison sentence today for cutting down a neighbour's hedge.

Grandmother Marlene Girling, 54, is being held in the same prison as Moors Murderer Myra Hindley in Suffolk. Her husband Malcolm, 57, is in Norwich Prison.

In a separate case yesterday, the daughter of a racehorse breeder was jailed for three months after refusing to move a boundary fence three feet.

In the row over the hedge, the Girlings of Witton, Norfolk, were jailed for 28 days at Norwich County Court after falling out with John and Lynda Williams. Both couples have large homes set in extensive gardens at the end of a long drive.

The Williamses had objected to a 15ft hedge between the properties being trimmed and obtained an injunction to protect it. But Mr Girling defied the court order and had the hedge cut down completely. The court ruled that the Girlings were in breach of the injunction.

One of the Girlings' daughters, Victoria, said: "It's disgusting. How could this happen because of a dispute about a hedge? My mum has never even had a parking ticket. We've been told we have no right of appeal." Son-in-law Paul Hewitt said: "They've been living in the same house for 25 years or so and my father-in-law decided it was his hedge and it was up to him if he wanted to cut it down or not. We never expected it to come to this."

Mr Hewitt added: "If you were a murderer or rapist you can get bail but he's a gardener and can't have bail. You have no human rights unless you are a criminal." He said there had been a number of disputes between the neighbours since the Williamses moved in last summer.

Among the documents put before the court by the Williamses was an extensive diary, detailing their neighbours' activities. They had logged dogs barking, people's movements in and out of the Girlings' home and cars allegedly parked where they should not have been.

Yesterday, Samantha Richards, 26, daughter of racehorse breeder Teresa Richards, was jailed for three months by Birmingham County Court after refusing to move a boundary fence in Hopesay, Shropshire. Her feud with neighbour Anthony Benson, which has involved 20 court hearings, was a "tragedy of Greek proportions", said the judge.