7th-April-2008
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 | Men's rights activist | | | |
Mother and daughter banned from quiet country village for terrorising gay couple | |
Quote:
The peace and quiet in a country village is today restored after a court banned a mother and daughter duo who have turned life upside down with their reign of terror over a gay couple.
Horse handler Karen Reeves, 44, and her daughter, nursery nurse Christie Myles, 22, have been told not to enter leafy Kingston, Kent as they await sentences for harassment - despite hiring "super psychic" Uri Geller's barrister son Daniel for representation.
Residents of the village who had packed the public gallery, beamed and gave each other the thumbs up as Canterbury magistrates convicted the pair - who unleashed a campaign of hate on Michael Harris, 39, and Shires Chrichton, 36, for most of last year.
Instead of living out their dreams of solitude in the country, partners of 15 years Michael and Shires were subjected to vile abuse directed at their sexuality from Reeves and Myles, whose family own land next to the men's property.
On one occasion Shires, a high-level security consultant who specialises in counter-terrorism for the Ministry of Defence, even feared for his life as Reeves drove her car towards him while he walked horses down the country lane near his estate.
Probation officer Michael said the campaign of hate, during which he was the target of gay slurs and rude gestures, caused him such distress he was forced to seek medical and psychiatric help to cope.
He said: "Our quality of life has been constantly impinged by them. We have become their entertainment.
"I have never experienced homophobia on this level and I grew up on an inner-city council estate."
At the end of 2006 Shires and Michael - likened to Little Britain-style 'Only Gays in the Village' by some locals - bought a £350,000 home on a piece of land belonging to Reeve's mother and father who live in the Marleywood Bungalow on an adjacent £550,000 property.
Reeves and Myles, who live in the nearby sought-after coastal resort of Whitstable, would go there nearly every day to tend their horses Monaco and Dior.
In March 2007 the abuse began, with Reeves shouting homophobic slurs at Shires.
The months to follow would see Reeves and Myles shout phrases like "poof" and "you're a grass, stick it up the *ss" and stick two-fingers up at Michael, sometimes while he was tending his garden or driving past.
On one occasion Myles filmed Michael with a camcorder as he unloaded a conservatory near his home. Magistrates' chairman Robert Scrase told the women, who both denied charges, at the close of the trial on Friday that their arguments were neither "credible" nor "convincing".
He said: "Michael and Shires moved into the property to enjoy the idyllic country lifestyle. It as clear to us that their quality of life and hopes for the future have deteriorated."
Even the surrounding villagers said they felt the impact of the abuse, turning the otherwise calm life in Kingston into a centre of hate.
Parish council chairman Dr Geoff Macdonald said: "Kingston is a lovely, peaceful village within an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is a very pleasant place to live.
"However, the antisocial behaviour of certain members of the Reeves family has blighted the lives of a number of wholly innocent residents.
"The villagers of Kingston will breathe a collective sigh of relief that justice has been done at last."
Reeves, who had her own barrister, Rachel Chan, was convicted of harassing both men and now faces a possible jail sentence.
Myles, who harassed only Michael, is likely to get a community service order when they return to court on April 24.
| Mother and daughter banned from quiet country village for terrorising gay couple |
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