A NEIGHBOUR from hell who was forced out of a property in Trafford has now been evicted again - from her council home in Salford.
Katherine Ruchat, 41, members of her family and visitors to her home in Worsley Road, Winton, Eccles, were alleged to have intimidated people, used foul and abusive language and committed acts of violence.
During a five-day hearing at Manchester County Court it was claimed that one local family was pelted with stones and had abuse hurled at them.
On another occasion, it was alleged, a member of the Ruchat family made death threats and struck another person on the head with a piece of fencing.
Threats
The court was told that the trouble started around March 2004 and there were also complaints of noise nuisance.
Judge Clayton described the Ruchats' behaviour as "very serious" and at the "top end of the scale" of grounds for which the council could seek possession of the property.
He said there had been a sustained campaign of intimidation by Miss Ruchat, her children and visitors. He ordered her to give up her tenancy.
'Prisoners'
One neighbour who has lived in the area for 19 years said: "We've felt like prisoners. My house is no longer a home and hasn't been since the trouble began.
"We used to enjoy games nights and barbecues, but our friends and family stopped coming round because they felt so threatened by the Ruchats."
Coun Peter Connor, the city's housing spokesman, said: "We take neighbour nuisance very seriously.
"Residents can have confidence that we will use all the legal tools that are available to us, including eviction.
"Housing officers intervened at an early stage, warning the family of the consequences of their behaviour.
"They failed to take heed and they are now paying for their actions."
In May 2003 Miss Ruchat, a mother of three, quit her then-home in Central Road, Partington, near Sale.
Scared
She had scared one neighbour so much that security guards kept watch over her house for five months.
Manchester and District Housing Association paid for a guard to sit in neighbour Sue Ganner's home from 6pm to 6am. Her children were even taken to school each day by a guard because they were so frightened of Miss Ruchat.
Ms Ganner took injunctions out against Miss Ruchat and her father, preventing them from threatening her.
The housing association was preparing to go to court get Miss Ruchat evicted, but at the 11th hour she agreed to hand over her keys.
* SALFORD has a designated hotline to report all types of anti-social behaviour anonymously - 0845 605 222.
Comments
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There's not much you can do about scum like this is there - I suppose they have to live somewhere, and the jails are overcrowded already. I'm surprised she's been termed a 'neighbour from hell' though - she looks so nice in the photo. Can't imagine anything unpleasant emerging from her mouth at all...
Its no kind of life living in fear of your neighbours.....These people should be locked up for taking away their neighbours lives in a sense.....Everyday tasks become nightmares all because parents let their children run riot and no discipline, morals or self respect is instilled in them from an early age.
I hate people like this but there are more and more of them. never mind just evicting her, what about stopping her benefits and giving her some proper punishment? she's only going to move on and start again and then more innocent people will have to suffer. I just hope she meets her match next time and she's on the receiving end of the abuse. what a scumbag!
why was she rehoused by salford council when the family had already been evicted for their behaviour? I thought you needed references who provided the reference for this family? did the person providing the reference lie? or was it a case of shoving the problem on?
its like that in out area and we dont get help at all, only told by the police on the phone that we are wasting police time and they have more pressing issues, something really needs to be done, there should be special police cells for these people and there kids, lock them in cages and pelt them with rotten veg, thats what they deserve for destroying inocent peoples lives, come on blair actually keep a promise and stamp this behaivour out, like thats gona happen.
The problem now is she has three others that have or will have the same attitude to life & their social behaviour. Unbelievable !.
...and to think there's another MEN article today questioning whether we're putting too many people in jail!!
This doesnt come as such a suprise Trafford council have had a lapse policy of giving homes to crims on a regular basis. Their re-named traff housing trust has given a 2 bed flat to a local car thief who ram raids on regular occasions is known to the police after a chase in which a youth died in the car he had stolen. he has also been given a mobility car!! and they say crime doesnt pay. he isnt working so gets his rent and council tax paid.
what a lovely family, scally scumbags who deserve nothing from society, but will probably get everything.
put them on an island along with the rest of the scum like them!!
i have neighbours just the same as them and the kids are hell especilly the older ones.
the council dont care and think we are being petty. lets hope they dont end up here
"Coming soon to an empty property near you"