Praying woman handed ASBO
A woman has been given an anti-social behaviour order after praying loudly in the common areas of her block of flats.
Fifty-two-year-old Martina Rabess has been banned from communal parts of the block in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, between 11pm and 7am for two years.
This was after behaviour which disturbed her neighbours, including lighting candles, chanting and praying in a loud voice in the early hours of the morning.
Frank Williams, portfolio holder for policy and partnership at Tunbridge Wells Council, said: ‘We hope that the order will help to improve the quality of life for those living in the area.’
Ms Rabess, of Grove Avenue, would also ring neighbours’ doorbells and walk away as well as carry plastic spray bottles of liquid that she sprayed on other residents’ doors, plants and cars.
Although, it is now believed the mixture was only vinegar, garlic and water, neighbours became increasingly afraid of her behaviour.
Ms Rabess even accused neighbours in the private block of committing criminal offences and reported them to the police.
Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court handed out the ASBO early this month – in Ms Rabess’ absence – after she was convicted in July for criminal damage and assault.
Inspector Simon Wilshaw, neighbourhood officer for Tunbridge Wells, said:
‘Compiling the evidence for the ASBO application was a protracted process but ultimately very successful.
‘A lot of joint work took place between ourselves and other agencies, including Tunbridge Wells council, and most importantly the residents of Grove Avenue kept going and worked through the process with us in the belief that we would help improve their quality of life.’
Ms Rabess was also told she could not contact directly or indirectly four named neighbours, or shout or make other noise which could be heard outside her flat.
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Readers' comments (70)
Sancho | 20/10/2009 2:33 pm
I read this story earlier elsewhere. It's not clear from that or this what the Council is doing to help someone who obviously has some fairly serious mental health problems. Something, I hope...
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Joe Halewood | 20/10/2009 3:49 pm
Sensationalist journalism again. There is no religious dimension issue here at all.
Rather a resident during the legal hours of the night (11pm - 7am) is and has been making noise that denies the peaceful enjoyment of her neighbours - and that has always been unacceptable and covered by much legislation way ahead of the creation of asbos.
The council even still have these (nuisance) powers under legislation and so did not need involvement of other agencies too as they proclaim in their self aggrandizing glory. So in summary this is not a religious story and it could have been prevented under legislation way ahead of asbo legislation without all the self-seeking publicity this smacks of.
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kass | 20/10/2009 6:40 pm
Has not anyone in social housing noticed that in the greatest of cases of people given asbo are single people with some obvious mental issues?... It looks like SOME social landlords find convenient to evict soft easy target tenants like this lady, instead of giving the assistance they require and so remove the issues for residents they claim to protect as soon as they start.
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Alan Savage | 20/10/2009 8:50 pm
So she should get an ASBO.
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karen | 21/10/2009 7:35 am
Social landlords are there to provide homes. We can facilitate (and do) the relationship with specialist services but we are in no way qualified to provide the "care" element that mental illness requires.
I absolutely agree with Joe - this kind of sensationalistic journalism is doing no one any favours.
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Holly | 21/10/2009 9:41 am
Why are people writing about social housing? The article states that it is a private block of flats.
Clearly there are mental health issues here, which of course, punishment will not help.
If she's banned from comunla areas how does she get to and from her flat?
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Joe Halewood | 21/10/2009 10:52 am
The article says she bannd from communal areas between 11pm and 7am not 24 hours a day
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kass | 21/10/2009 10:55 am
The mechanics could not be clearer. The social landlord first puts a mentally ill person in an unsuitable housing situation for her needs so that (if she was sane to start with) might contribute or even make her mentally ill, so that she can be a nuisance to other tenants, so that asbo can be inflicted on this poor person so that the landlord, police et all, etc can all say we are tough on Asbo nad in protecting residents.
It seems to me the losers here are:
the evicted tenant for her mental illness and losing her home;
the other residents who had to cope with all the disturbance and the asbo procedures;
the council for incurring the cost of first housing and than evicting;
the police for contributing their time and resources;
the social and medical services which had someone who could have helped effectively at source, and given this poor lady a chance to have a better life, but now are left burdened with a patient seemingly behind repair which means hundred-fold costs in terms of supporting her and finding her some safe accomodation
And all this achieved by expert and professionals with presumably plenty of experience in their fields...
Anyone in this thread knows what sums are we talking about and how to add up ? Done it? Now please, present the bill to the biggest loser of all the British taxpayer, who is going to keep on paying so that these professionals and experts can go on happily having careers and pension schemes.
Well done boys and girls! Keep up the good work and you'll soon be on the awards list for your achievements.
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karen | 21/10/2009 11:32 am
1. It was private landlord not social.
2. She hasn't been evicted and not lost her home.
3. Who says she suffers mental health - not all zealously religous folks are "ill". I'm certainly not qualified to determine someones mental health based upon a journalistic piece.
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karen | 21/10/2009 11:43 am
btw... those hated professionals with their luxury salaries and pension plans ARE taxpayers... And me personally, I'm not paid by the taxpayer (although a minute proportion of my salary could potentially come from HB income so in one of those lovely circle of life things I pay my own salary).
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