A 60-year-old model who claimed she was forced out of her beach hut for being ‘too glamorous’ has been handed a suspended jail sentence and a £53,000 legal bill for breaking an injunction following a ‘revenge campaign’ against a neighbour.
Michele Spicer clashed with locals who accused her of ‘antisocial behaviour’ at her seaside beach hut – which she dubbed her ‘mermaid haven’.
Fed-up residents in Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, reported the former teacher’s rowdy behaviour to the council, accusing her of carelessly parking her open-top Mercedes sports car and blasting music on the vehicle’s radio.
Animosity grew as she became convinced that one neighbour in particular was involved in a plot to evict her from her beachfront hut.
The relaxing retreat was taken away from her by the local council in 2021 – making her the first person to be evicted from a beach hut in the area for 25 years.
‘Glamorous’ Michele Spicer at her beach hut, which she dubbed her ‘mermaid haven’. She clashed with locals who accused her of ‘antisocial behaviour’
Fed-up residents in Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, reported the former teacher’s rowdy behaviour to the council. Pictured: Ms Spicer posing in a bikini outside Worthing Law Courts
Last week, Ms Spicer was dragged to the High Court in London, where Judge Richard Pearce, having found her in contempt of court for breaching an injunction, handed her a 24-week jail sentence, suspended for two years. Pictured: Ms Spicer outside the High Court
Ms Spicer claimed she had sparked neighbours’ resentment due to her ‘glamorous’ looks and her Mercedes sports car
Ms Spicer claimed she had sparked neighbours’ resentment due to her ‘glamorous’ looks and her Mercedes sports car.
Speaking in 2021, she said: ‘I think it’s because they’re jealous of me because I’m a model and I’m very glamorous with a sports car.’
Ms Spicer began a ‘revenge campaign’ against one lady, who left town and changed jobs as a result.
The neighbour – who cannot be named – would put on a hoodie and shades even when going to the corner shop to avoid being spotted, the High Court in London heard.
Her neighbour’s barrister, Kate Strange, said the victim – who had been branded a ‘vulture’ in Instagram posts by Ms Spicer – had been driven from the seaside town she loved, ‘ruining’ her life.
‘The harassment complained of by the claimant included verbal abuse, pestering behaviour, intimidation and photographing, and recording of the claimant without her consent,’ said the barrister.
She ended up making 30 complaints to the police, resulting in two community protection orders being slapped on Ms Spicer.
But the police action ‘appeared to have no effect’ on her, the court heard, and in July last year the neighbour felt there was ‘no choice but to seek an injunction to curb Ms Spicer’s harassment of her’.
Ms Spicer at her beach hut, which was taken away from her by the local council in 2021
Ms Spicer began a ‘revenge campaign’ against a neighbour, which led to her victim leaving town and changing jobs
The neighour – who cannot be named – would put on a hoodie and shades even when going to the corner shop to avoid being spotted by Ms Spicer (pictured), London’s High Court heard
Neighbours accused Ms Spicer of carelessly parking her open-top Mercedes sports car and blasting music on the vehicle’s radio
The court order barred Ms Spicer from the waterfront area near her former hut, from contacting or communicating with her victim or visiting the gym she frequents, and from generally ‘harassing or stalking her’.
But despite the injunction, she ‘continued to harass and intimidate the claimant,’ said Ms Strange, leaving her little option but to haul Ms Spicer before a judge for contempt of court.
Last week, Ms Spicer was dragged to the High Court in London, where Judge Richard Pearce, having found her in contempt of court for breaching the injunction, handed her a 24-week jail sentence, suspended for two years.
But she also received a financial hit when the judge ordered her to pay her former neighbour’s legal costs – estimated by lawyers at £53,000.
The damning result comes just weeks after Ms Spicer – who had posed outside court in a metallic gold bikini – bragged on social media that her accusers were as ‘thick as planks’ and that she was ‘super intelligent and smarter than them… they can’t bear it’.
In another post she called her former neighbour a ‘vulture’, adding: ‘police and bully boy at the council are so jealous of me it’s absolutely wonderfully flattering’.
And third she posted a photo of herself in a bikini with the caption: ‘So vulture is still so jealous of me. She’s trying to get another High Court case against me!!
‘Soooo hilarious… just digging herself a bigger hole… poor darling! Lol.’
The rowdy model paid £15,000 for the beach hut following her divorce in 2020.
The case came before Judge Pearce in the High Court last week as Ms Strange applied for Ms Spicer to be jailed for defiance of a court order.
The barrister said Ms Spicer had shown little remorse for how she treated her victim, adding: ‘My client has had her life ruined by the actions of Ms Spicer.’
Ms Spicer was the subject of 30 complaints to the police, resulting in two community protection orders
However, the police action ‘appeared to have no effect’ on Ms Spicer, the court heard, and in July last year her victim felt there was ‘no choice but to seek an injunction to curb Ms Spicer’s harassment of her’
The court order barred Ms Spicer from the waterfront area near her former hut, from contacting or communicating with her victim or visiting the gym she frequents, and from generally ‘harassing or stalking her’
The rowdy model paid £15,000 for the beach hut (pictured) in the wake of her divorce in 2020
‘She appears to be motivated by a wish to punish the claimant and to put pressure on her, and to make her life difficult – even unbearable – because she did the unthinkable and complained about her anti-social behaviour.
‘Her conduct has been repetitive, persistent and marked by a desire to cause maximum distress to the claimant.
‘She forced her to change jobs and move home and her mental health has deteriorated significantly.
‘She has chosen to uproot her life and home and job in order to get away from Ms Spicer.’
Ms Spicer admitted a series of breaches of the injunction by posting ‘abusive content’ on her Instagram account.
Her barrister told the judge she was ‘extremely remorseful’, and pointed out there had been no physical contact between her and her victim.
However, Judge Pearce said that despite being singled out by Ms Spicer as a key figure in lodging complaints to the council, the victim had acted ‘entirely appropriately in seeking to challenge such anti-social behaviour’.
The loss of her ‘pride and joy’ beach hut had a devastating impact on Ms Spicer, he added, prompting the revenge campaign which ultimately forced her victim to sell her house, move jobs and even don a disguise when buying her groceries.
Speaking after the hut was removed, Ms Spicer claimed neighbours complained – including this note about how she parked her car – because she was a model and locals were ‘jealous’
In the High Court, Judge Richard Pearce said that despite being singled out by Ms Spicer as a key figure in lodging complaints to the council, the victim had acted ‘entirely appropriately in seeking to challenge such anti-social behaviour’
Ms Spicer’s barrister told the judge she was ‘extremely remorseful’, and pointed out that there had been no physical contact between her and her victim
Ms Spicer admitted a series of breaches of the injunction by posting ‘abusive content’ on her Instagram account
Her eviction from the hut sparked ‘significant aggravation and escalation in Ms Spicer’s behaviour,’ said the judge.
‘It caused her for whatever reason to pick on the claimant particularly as a target for her conduct hereafter.’
Taking account of Ms Spicer’s fragile mental health, he said he was ‘on a very narrow balance persuaded to suspend this sentence’.
He handed Ms Spicer a 24-week sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered her to pay her neighbour’s legal costs, estimated at £53,000.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12674627/model-michele-spicer-suspended-jail-sentence-breaking-injunction.html
