A former Chinese intelligence officer and her lawyer daughter have been found guilty of stalking their neighbours in a neighbour row which erupted over a hedge.
Susan Chen, 61, and Linda Lu, 35, were convicted at Lincoln Crown Court of causing serious alarm or distress to James and Lynn Smith in Bassingham, Lincolnshire.
The mother and daughter duo represented themselves during the five-week trial, in which they claimed to be the victims of stalking and harassment.
The jury took less than two hours to reach their verdict and Chen and Lu showed no reaction as the guilty verdicts were announced.
Chen, an ex-Chinese Army Major turned millionaire, moved into the rented property with her British partner in March 2023, before her daughter Lu joined her shortly after.
The harassment began in July 2023, just months after Chen and Lu moved in.
The court heard the first interaction between the Smiths and the defendants involved a dispute over a front hedge.
Chen and Lu were accused of filming their neighbours from upstairs windows and shouting verbal abuse at them.
They also allegedly followed James Smith in public places and deliberately made excessive noise.
This included periods of “loud metallic banging” and creating “a racket” from their home.
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Numerous incidents were reported to the police by the Smiths.
James Smith, who has lived in the village with his family for 12 years, captured audio and video evidence using recording devices and CCTV.
The court heard that by September, incidents were occurring on a “daily basis”.
Videos played in court allegedly captured Chen and Lu “shouting derogatory abuse”, including words such as “r****ds”.
The Smith family attempted to escape the harassment by going away in late August “to try and get some respite”.
However, upon their return, the banging from next door resumed “within 15 minutes”.
PC Jordan Bathie-Drexler, who led the investigation, said: “Nobody should fear sitting in their own garden, walking their children to school, or worry about barrages of abuse on a regular basis, simply because their neighbours have developed an unhealthy obsession with them.”
The court heard the first interaction between the Smiths and the defendants involved a dispute over a front hedge (stock image)
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He added: “Stalking has such a negative impact on a victim’s life; it consumes them, takes over their feelings of wellbeing, happiness, and safety, and leaves them vulnerable.”
The officer praised the victims for conducting themselves “with absolute dignity in the face of a very difficult case”.
Chen and Lu were arrested twice, first on September 5 and again at the end of that month.
Judge James House KC adjourned sentencing until December 6. The defendants will be remanded in custody until then.
Lu agreed to cooperate with the preparation of a psychiatric report, while Chen declined. Both defendants consented to pre-sentence reports by the Probation Service.
