A SERIAL neighbour from hell has been jailed after waging a three-year campaign of harassment.

Stephen Lawson, of Tow Law, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in custody following an earlier trial during which a jury found him guilty of two counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order.

The breaches come after years of harassment against his Bridge Street neighbour - and two decades after an attack on a young woman neighbour.

Judge Christopher Prince, sentencing the 59-year-old, read from a pre-sentence report which he described as unlike anything he had seen.

In it a probation officer said Lawson had a “distorted view of his behaviour”, adding: “There’s an obvious pattern of behaviour which I’m of the view demonstrates signs of an undiagnosed mental health problem or, failing that, I believe he is a thoroughly disagreeable character who has no consideration for the wellbeing of his fellow man.”

Durham Crown Court heard Lawson, a recipient of disability benefits, moved into his home in 2015.

From September that year until now Lawson has committed a number of offences including damage to property and using threatening and abusive language.

In June 2016 he was issued an indefinite criminal behaviour order (CBO) banning him from intimidating, harassing or contacting his victim.

But Lawson continued to harass his neighbour and received a suspended sentence in January 2017 for breaching the order.

Robin Turton, prosecuting, said his latest breaches were carried out in March and August. The court heard on March 16 this year Lawson posted legal documents regarding his CBO through the letterbox of his next-door victim.

In the documents he described his victim’s family as “bullies” and said he had been unable to challenge the order.

Lawson denied posting the material and told a jury he had posted them to his solicitor and an error had been made by the postman.

Then on August 23 Lawson shovelled debris into the rear garden of his neighbour.

Lawson’s history of offending dates back to 1996 when he was convicted for damaging property and possessing an article to damage property.

Two years later he was sentenced to 12 months in prison for wounding his female neighbour with a bannister spindle - leaving her with bruising and in need of six stitches to her eye.

And in 1999 he was convicted for a course of conduct against a female neighbour which involved verbal threats, playing loud music and banging on a party wall to cause her distress.

In mitigation, David Callan said his client suffered from depression and called on Judge Prince to see the two breaches “in context”.

He added Lawson had struggled in prison due to his poor physical health and said he did not want to lose his home.

Judge Prince said: “You accept no responsibility for your behaviour, you show no indication of your intention to change and you have demonstrated no remorse whatsoever.”