Councillor and his wife could be jailed for 'chanting, staring and sticking their fingers up outside neighbours' house' in seaside town amid bitter dispute over building work

A couple accused of chanting, staring and sticking their fingers up outside the neighbours' house amid a dispute over building work could be jailed. 

Nigel and Sheila Jacklin, both 61, are involved in a long running dispute with their neighbours in Normans Bay, East Sussex, a court heard. 

Mr Jacklin, a councillor, denied intimidating his neighbours by staring in their windows, while Mrs Jacklin denied chanting and making hand gestures.

The pair have lived in their £600,000 five-bedroom home yards from the beach at Normans Bay, near Hastings, for 30 years.

The trouble started not long after clinical psychologist Dr Stephane Duckett and his partner Norinne Betjemann bought the 120-year-old, disused glass glazing workshop opposite 10 years ago.

The couple, from London, then set about converting it into a £400,000 weekend holiday home. 

Mr and Mrs Jacklin made a series of complaints about their new neighbours to the authorities, including allegations about noisy builders, verbal abuse and light pollution. 

But the Jacklins were then investigated by Rother District Council and given a 'community protection warning letter'. 

Prosecutor Charlotte Frost has now told magistrates in Hastings: 'This is a long running neighbour dispute.

'They have a dispute with a couple said to have taken place over a long period of time.

'It is said Mrs Jacklin would go to the garden fence, bringing a chair facing their home and would be sitting or standing, loudly chanting while making finger gestures.

'Mrs Jacklin says they are religious gestures.

'Her neighbour say they [are] rude.'

Mr Jacklin also denied assaulting a local shop keeper who has connections to his neighbours.

'There is an allegation of assaulting a local shop worker who is on friendly terms with the other family.

'Mr Jacklin is accused of deliberately and forcefully pushing her into a fence,' Ms Frost said.

The Jacklins were charged after being interviewed by police for several hours in October last year, the court heard.

Mrs Jacklin sobbed in the dock as Ms Frost told the court: 'It is not in dispute there is animosity between these couples.'

Hasting Magistrates Court heard Mr Jacklin is accused of pursuing a course of conduct between July 1 and September 11, 2023 which amounted to the harassment of Norinne Betjemann.

The charge accuses him of staring into his neighbours property, loitering on the property boundary and intimidating behaviour causing distress.

Mrs Jacklin is accused of staring, loitering, sticking her fingers up and chanting over the same dates.

Mr Jacklin represents St Mark's Ward in Bexhill Town Council and was elected in May 2023.

He is also planning to challenge rail minister Huw Merriman for the Bexhill and Battle seat at the general election. Mr Jacklin said he is standing against police abuse of power.

A trial was set for September where the maximum penalty could be six months in prison.