A nightmare neighbour who ranted in the street and threatened to smash windows has been given a jail warning.
Jennifer Melville was ordered to stay out of trouble after clashing with an upstairs couple at her old address in Kinross.
When she appeared at Perth Sheriff Court in January, she was given a chance to prove she could stay out of trouble.
But the 35-year-old returned to the dock this week and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at her new home in Bridge of Earn, on June 28.
Sheriff Mungo Bovey told her: “We’re getting close to the end of the road here, when the court will have no option but to jail you.
“You need to get a grip of your issues. It’s your responsibility to behave in public and not to abuse people.”
He ordered her to stay home between 7pm and 7am each night as part of a six-month restriction of liberty curfew order.
“This is an alternative to custody,” he said.
“You’re not going to jail this time but you are getting very close to the doors of Cornton Vale.”
‘I’m going to smash someone’s face in’
Fiscal depute Erika Watson told the court: “The accused lives on Paradise Place, a public street in Bridge of Earn.
“She had been causing some issues amongst neighbours due to her antisocial behaviour.
“At around 6pm, the accused was seen walking to her home, shouting and swearing.
“On hearing a commotion outside, a neighbour went to her window and saw the accused storming up the street towards another neighbour.”
Melville was heard shouting: “I’m going to smash someone’s face in.”
Residents concerned about the safety of the neighbour came into the street.
Ms Watson said Melville was told to leave and replied: “I can do what I want.”
The prosecutor said: “She continue to shout, swear and threatened to smash windows in the street.
“The verbal abuse continued for approximately 20 minutes.
“Another neighbour came out onto the street and tried to calm the accused down.”
Melville told him: “I know you work at the prison. I’m going to get you done.”
Police were contacted and officers found Melville in her garden, “heavily under the influence of alcohol”.
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” she told them.
Solicitor Gino Gambale, defending, said his client had “underlying alcohol issues” and had become “agitated with her neighbours”.
Abused neighbours at previous address
The court earlier heard Melville ranted at her upstairs neighbours – calling them “s***bags” – at her previous address in Acremoar Drive, Kinross.
She pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards two people on November 20 2021.
The court heard Melville had been feeling “paranoid” that evening.
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