An NHS administrator who has been harassed by her upstairs neighbour in a feud over the upkeep of their shared garden says she is scared to leave her own home after he was convicted of assaulting her.
Jasmine McMurdo, 56, who lives in a basement flat in Twickenham, says she has endured a decade of abuse from Michael Oram, and now records her every movement in the garden for fear of another confrontation.
Oram, 74, had already been banned from talking to Ms McMurdo or entering the garden, and ordered not to interfere with her mail and rubbish bins.
But despite a judge issuing a criminal behaviour order, Oram continued to target his neighbour, and in a violent tussle grabbed her iPad and smashed the screen by stamping on it.
At Kingston crown court on Friday, a judge handed Oram his second suspended jail sentence and told him to “keep away” from his neighbour.
In a statement, Ms McMurdo said: “I am now living in fear of this man — I want to be left alone in peace and for once live a fear-free life.”
She described a “constant stream of psychological harassment and torment”, insisting Oram enjoys “bullying” her out of spite.
“Over 10 years I have had continuous harassment from Mr Oram,” she said. “I am scared to even walk outside in case he is there, not knowing what he will do to me.” She said she fears “repercussions” after complaining to the police.
Oram, who used to run a Chelsea employment agency supplying butlers, chauffeurs and gardeners, was convicted in 2015 of interfering with his neighbour’s post, and in June 2018 was given a six-week suspended prison sentence for harassing Ms McMurdo.
Under the CBO, he was banned from contacting her and prohibited from entering the rear garden.
However, in March last year a judge was persuaded to give him access to his plants on weekdays between 10am and 3pm.
Within 24 hours, Oram had assaulted his neighbour as she recorded him making “juvenile noise” at her while he watered the plants.
“Suddenly he lunged at me, grabbing the iPad from my hand with force,” she said. After smashing it, he had a “smug look”.
On April 19, Oram told Ms McMurdo off for pruning a bush before it had flowered, and on May 15 he interfered with her bins again.
Robin Griffiths, for Oram, said the assault followed “severe provocation”, and that he was prone to mood swings due to a medical condition.
Recorder Antony Dunne imposed an eight-month sentence suspended for 18 months.
He said Ms McMurdo’s life “has been made a misery”. Oram, who pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a CBO, common assault, and criminal damage, was banned under a five-year CBO from contacting her.
He was ordered to pay £350 compensation for the iPad and £160 in court fines and fees, and must attend 15 rehabilitation sessions.
