A Grandmother Is Going to Jail For Harassing Her Gay Neighbors

A court found Elvira Baptiste guilty of harassment without violence after a trial last month after she was accused of harassing a gay couple for months.

The 64-year-old grandmother of 20 appeared in court in Bristol, U.K. on Wednesday. She received a sentence for 16 weeks for her behavior toward Dean Griffiths and Andrew Knight, according to The Bristol Post.

Prosecutors told the court how Baptiste had put up offensive posters, played music referencing killing gay men, and yelled homophobic abuse at the couple. They've since had to move from their residence beside Baptiste.

In a statement read by prosecutor Alison May, Griffiths said, "She has made our lives misery. She seems to be watching us all the time and has put posters up in her window. We cannot use our garden as it feels like she is watching us.

"I am not sleeping very well and our relationship is suffering. We are constantly living on edge because of this behavior -- we are not comfortable at home and we are both struggling. We loved the flat but, within a week, we know we would have to move out because of her behavior. I have experienced forms of hate before, but never to this extent - she comes from a place of aggression."

He added: "Her behavior has caused us to move out, which shows how much it affects us."

May also read a statement from Knight: "Why would a human being behave like this? We are having to move because of this behavior. It appears she is enjoying watching us suffer."

Prosecutors said the victims originally moved to the residence in early 2020 and Baptiste was their next-door neighbor.

Several months later Baptiste began calling them by homophobic slurs. She also told them they should be with women and that no one wanted them in the area.

Baptiste played a song about shooting gay men on repeat until police had to tell her to stop.

After an initial arrest, she was told not to contact them. However, other incidents occurred, and she appeared to have started filming them.

She put up posters that read "wicked lives must burn in hell on judgment day" and another poster that referenced a "mangina b****," according to The Bristol Post.

The defense for Baptiste said she did not accept guilt. Baptiste's lawyer, Sarah Turland, told the court, "She tells me this was not a one-way street and she tells me that the complainants threw things into her garden, including a quantity of gravel. She feels she was a victim in this situation."

The judge in the case told Baptiste during sentencing, "Despite the involvement of the police, this campaign of homophobic hatred continued. As a mother of ten and a grandmother of more than 20 children, I would expect you to understand the importance of people's mental health and how to respect people."