A 73-year-old Colchester woman who pointed an air gun out of a bedroom window at a neighbour during a dispute over parking has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The neighbour was having a barbecue in his garden with friends when Susan Tubbesing opened a first-floor window and shouted abuse at him, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

She had then pointed an unloaded air rifle out of the window at the neighbour and when she saw him filming her on his mobile phone she said: “ Put it down before I shoot it”.

The neighbour hadn’t reported the incident to police at the time but had mentioned it when they were called to another dispute over parking in March last year.

Tubbesing, of Fenwick Drive, Colchester, admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence in August 2022.

She was given a ten month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and a 20 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

She was also ordered to pay £350 prosecution costs.

Sentencing her Judge David Wilson said: “Members of the public can’t go around threatening neighbours with air rifles and threatening to shoot them.”

He said that Tubbesing lived on the corner of Fenwick Drive in Colchester and had fallen out with a neighbour in nearby Ipswich Road about parking.

He said that on the day of the offence guests at the neighbour’s barbecue had parked close to her property.

Steven Dyble for Tubbesing said his client had no previous convictions and her behaviour on the day in question had been totally out of character.

He said that after a number of incidents tensions had increased between her and her neighbour.

Mr Dyble said his client had overheard her neighbour accuse her of “keying” his car causing £25,000 which she denied doing.

He said the neighbour she’d fallen out with had now moved out of the area and there had been no further incidents.