Asbo pensioner wins sentence cut

Dorothy Evans, of Abergavenny, South Wales, who was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on April 17 for one conviction of harassment and six breaches of the order by a judge who said she had made her neighbours' lives "a misery", was present at the Court of Appeal in London for the ruling.

Mr Justice Gross and Mr Justice Underhill reduced her sentence to one of four months' imprisonment.

Giving the ruling, Mr Justice Underhill emphasised: "Old age is not a licence to disregard the law or the requirements of decent behaviour towards others in the community."

It is understood that Mrs Evans has a maximum of another six weeks to serve, but could be released after four weeks if she is considered eligible for electronic tagging.

Mrs Evans, dressed in a bright pink summer suit and a white sun hat, sat in a wheelchair in the courtroom listening to proceedings through a hearing device.

Mr Justice Underhill said he would not wish it to be thought that the court under-estimated the seriousness of the impact of her behaviour on her neighbours.

"But the fact is that an additional two months in prison is not going to solve the problems she has already caused. As to the future, as the (trial) judge has already pointed out, an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) remains in force and the sentence passed by the judge should leave Mrs Evans under no illusions that the court is perfectly prepared to pass a prison sentence if there are further serious breaches of the order made."

Afterwards, Mrs Evans hugged and kissed her daughter, Barbara Thomas, with whom she lives, before she was wheeled back to the cells. Mrs Thomas told the press: "I'm not giving any interviews to anyone until my mother is out of prison."

Asked if the appeal ruling was a shock, she asked how reporters would feel if it was their mother. "I would have thought that the judges would have taken her age into consideration and she has more ailments than was mentioned."