

An abusive pensioner has been convicted of harassing his neighbours - because their gardens don’t look as good as his.



Green-fingered John Bushell, 89, has immaculate hedges, trimmed bushes and a well-kept lawn outside his smart detached home in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear.



But he believes his neighbors’ failure to maintain the outside of their houses has affected the value of his £200,000 property.



Since buying the house in 1960, irate Mr Bushell has verbally abused his neighbours because their ‘messy’ gardens mean he can’t find a buyer for his home.



During a long campaign of abuse, he branded neighbours Marjorie and Ken Mills ‘scumbags’, tipped rubbish into other peoples’ gardens and modified his guttering so rain poured outside their homes.



Bushell has breached a restraining order ten times during a two decade reign of terror - and has received five convictions.



He has now been convicted again after a tirade got so heated he threatened to burn down Ken's home 'before I die'.



Bushell appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates Court on Monday for yet another breach of the restraining order.































View photos A house on Mill Crescent in Hebburn, on the same street as Mr Bushell. (SWNS) More

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The outside of retired bookmaker Mr Bushell’s house is in perfect condition - with polished statues, a perfectly varnished front door and an intricate white trellis around his windows.



District Judge Helen Cousins also urged him to move house when he appeared in court this week.



She said: 'Your garden looks very beautiful but you can't behave as you did. You have got previous convictions for doing exactly the same thing.





'The two-year suspended sentence should allow you time to sell your house and spend the rest of your life in peace.'



But speaking after the case Bushell said he couldn't sell up - and it was his neighbour's fault.



He said: 'I've taken the house off the market. Who is going to buy it when you see the state of the gardens around here?'



























View photos Bushell harassed neighbours over the state of their gardens in Tyne and Wear. (SWNS) More

View photos Another supposedly 'messy' garden on Mr Bushell's road in Hebburn. (SWNS) More

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