A 64-year-old woman has been found guilty of harassment without violence after she was accused of accosting a gay couple in her neighborhood for months!
Following a trial last month, Elvira Baptiste, who is a grandmother with more than 20 grandchildren, appeared in court in Bristol, UK on Wednesday to receive her sentencing — 16 weeks behind bars, according to The Bristol Post. And all for the blind hatred of two gay neighbors, Dean Griffiths and Andrew Knight.
During the trial, prosecutors told the court that Baptiste had placed offensive posters in her window, played music that referenced killing gay men, and yelled homophobic slurs their way. Things got so bad between May to August last year that the couple was forced to move out of their residence!
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In a statement shared by prosecutor Alison May, Dean expressed:
“She has made our lives misery. She seems to be watching us all the time and has put posters up in her window. We cannot use our garden as it feels like she is watching us.”
The effects of the harassment have led to poor mental health, the man continued:
“I am not sleeping very well and our relationship is suffering. We are constantly living on edge because of this behavior — we are not comfortable at home and we are both struggling. We loved the flat but, within a week, we know we would have to move out because of her behavior. I have experienced forms of hate before, but never to this extent – she comes from a place of aggression.”
If the descriptions of what she did to the couple weren’t bad enough, he stressed:
“Her behavior has caused us to move out, which shows how much it affects us.”
Dean’s partner also had some thoughts to share, adding in another statement:
“Why would a human being behave like this? We are having to move because of this behavior. It appears she is enjoying watching us suffer.”
The victims first moved to the neighborhood in early 2020, and Baptiste was their next-door neighbor. Several months later, she began her attacks against them, calling them homophobic slurs. She also allegedly told them to be with women instead and that nobody wanted them in the area. Growing increasingly vile, she reportedly played a song about shooting gay men on repeat until cops arrived and instructed her to turn the disgusting music off. How awful!!
When Elvira was first arrested in August, she was instructed not to communicate with the couple, per her bail conditions. But it sounds like she didn’t obey because several more incidents occurred, including one in which she appeared to be filming them. No wonder Dean and Andrew felt uncomfortable at their home!
According to The Bristol Post, the posters that the couple was forced to see outside their window read “wicked lives must burn in hell on judgment day” and “mangina bitch.”
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While she’s been found guilty, the mother of ten does not accept the charge. Her lawyer, Sarah Turland, told the court:
“She tells me this was not a one-way street and she tells me that the complainants threw things into her garden, including a quantity of gravel. She feels she was a victim in this situation.”
But (thankfully) the judge was unwilling to consider the possibility that she was a victim, arguing:
“Despite the involvement of the police, this campaign of homophobic hatred continued. As a mother of ten and a grandmother of more than 20 children, I would expect you to understand the importance of people’s mental health and how to respect people.”
Seriously! How could she possibly have thought this was doing any good in the world??
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below).
[Image via Avon and Somerset Police & WENN/Avalon]
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