THE Abergavenny octogenarian once described by a judge as "the archetypal neighbour from hell has been banned from returning to her home of 41 years.

After a seven day trial at Cardiff Crown Court, 82-year-old Dorothy Evans, who had been living in Park Crescent, was found guilty of two charges of breaching an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO), won by a majority of 11 to one.

She was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for two years, banned from returning to the area of her home for five years as part of a new five year ASBO and prohibited from threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour towards neighbours on either side of the house, the Casa and Stafford families. Evans was found not guilty of eight charges of breaching the ASBO.

Judge Nicholas Cooke QC said, "She has had many chances. This is now the end."

He told Evans, "Because of your great age I am not going to order you to go straight to prison. I do have to put a stop to the sort of behaviour of which you have been convicted."

He said she behaved in a way which was totally unacceptable and if she returned to the area she was liable to serve a five year sentence.

He said everyone had tried to treat her fairly and he urged her to change her ways. He added that she had caused people a lot of distress and misery and nothing could justify her behaviour.

The court heard, she had had an ongoing dispute concerning on-street parking and over a boundary.

She told the jury she had never hurled abuse or any kind of insult at her neighbours and her counsel Harry Baker said she was the victim in the case and was "more sinned against than sinning."

Her daughter Barbara Thomas, a shop assistant in an Abergavenny chemist gave evidence supporting her mother.

The judge ordered that he return to court next month when he will consider binding her over to be of good behaviour and keep the peace. The court heard that the costs of the case were more than £4,000. The judge did not make an order.

The court also heard that Evans had been in custody recently for nine months. He said a reconciliation would have been a good thing and he invited the Assembly Commissioner for the elderly, the Chief Crown Prosecutor and her solicitor and social services department representatives to meet to see what lesson could be learned.

The court was told Evans has convictions dating back to 1999 for harassment and breaching a restraining order.

Last year, she was jailed for six months, later reduced to four months, for breaches of the ASBO.

Speaking after the case, Mrs Thomas said an appeal against the order "would be launched immediately."