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Woman banned from speaking to Irish neighbors after 14-year campaign of racist abuse

Racially aggravated harassment causes Irish family to fear for their safety in London

By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 7:45 AM
Updated Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 9:37 AM

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Denise Godefroid charged with the racial harassment of her Irish neighbors
Denise Godefroid charged with the racial harassment of her Irish neighbors
Photo by Daily Mail


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A 63-year-old woman has been banned from speaking to her neighbors after a 14-year campaign of racist harassment.

Veronica and James Hagans told the Southwark Crown Court in London that their neighbor called the couple “f****in stupid Irish.” Denise Godefroid told the Hagans family to go back to Ireland and on one occasion screamed at them to keep “those bloody Irish children” quiet.

Read More: Dissident Irish priest fears excommunication over views on women priests

Veronica Hagans has been so badly affected by Godefroid’s abuse that she is too afraid to leave the family’s flat in Pimlico on her own, even to bring out the garbage, the Daily Mail reports.

The prosecuting lawyer James Fletcher told the court the Hagans had moved in next door to Godefroid in 1997.

He said, “Since they moved in, over that period there have been a number of antisocial and nuisance type behaviors from the defendant towards Mrs Hagans and her husband.

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“This included the defendant knocking loudly on wall in the early hours of the morning, at 3am, and singing or making whale noises, peering into their bedroom from an adjoining balcony and being verbally abusive.

“On at least two occasions the Crown has advanced evidence the harassment was racially aggravated.

“Mrs Hagans is Irish and on one occasion the defendant made comments such as, 'You f****** stupid Irish. What did you come here for? Why are you in this country?

“On another occasion the defendant started swearing at Mr and Mrs Hagans' grandchildren saying 'Those bloody Irish children. Keep those f****** children quiet and get back to Ireland you f****** Irish.

“Mrs Hagan has been badly affected by the behavior to the point that she felt that she could not leave the flat on her own, even to go out in the corridor to put the rubbish out.”
 
Judge Stephen Robbins issued Godefroid with an indefinite restraining order. This prevents the abusive neighbor from contact with the Hagans. She was also given a community order and a six-month curfew, between 9pm and 7am.

In June 2011 Godefroid admitted to racially aggravated harassment. On Monday she also admitted to racially aggravated harassment putting another in fear of violence.

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Godefroid’s lawyer Lance Murray said his client has been diagnosed as suffering with a mixed personality disorder, agoraphobia, dementia and panic attacks, among other issues, had pleaded guilty because she “if she proceeded with a trial it would kill her.”

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30 Comments

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harp579 | Mar 02, 2013, 12:45 PM EST
@curtisjohnso,seanomelb,johnshiel - -................................................................. see “Saxons, Vikings and Celts: the Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland” by Bryan Sykes or “Origins of the British” by Stephen Oppenheimer. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. They explain results of massive gene-based study done over a decade ago which shows the English are genetically 92% the same as the Irish (and Scotts and Welsh). English have only a 2% legacy from the Roman occupation and only a 6% from Germanic tribes occupation of southeast Britton (Britain).

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harp579 | Mar 02, 2013, 12:43 PM EST
@curtisjohnso,seanomelb,johnshiel - -................................................................. see “Saxons, Vikings and Celts: the Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland” by Bryan Sykes or “Origins of the British” by Stephen Oppenheimer. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. They explain results of massive gene-based study over a decade ago which shows the English are genetically 92% the same as the Irish (and Scotts and Welsh). English have a 2% legacy from the Roman occupation and 6% from Germanic tribes occupation of southeast Britton (Britain).

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Frosty38 | Feb 27, 2013, 09:31 AM EST
STEVENSTAR | why are you yelling because when you cap that is what you are doing. Play nice

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RobinForester | Feb 19, 2013, 04:29 AM EST
When a child I was brought up in Middlesbrough, England, there was so many Irish, I thought it was Ireland, I never knew until 30 years later when talking to my sister that 'our street' was considered to be ''All Catholics''. I honestly never knew there was such a thing, it was were we lived, it was our house and the neighbours were 'our neighbours', is this so strange, if I went to Boston, USA and landed in another Catholic st, wouldn't I look a fool by remarking 'there all Catholic's were moving'. I n our last home there were all Jews, 10 000 of them, and it was 'all one big happy family area'. Make of this what you want?

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molliebawn | Jan 23, 2013, 08:25 PM EST
These highly superior, aka, 'know it all's who have obviously swallowed a dictionary & are so knowledgeable on EVERY subject, dare i say it... really amuse me.

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curtisjohnson | Jan 23, 2013, 08:15 PM EST
Nice try with that phony testimonial, schlobo, you pathetic little brit troll. One need only judge perception and documented evidence of the behavior of anglos versus the Irish abroad for an objective perspective on who exercises discipline and self control. Maybe you should link up with the creature who is the subject of the article and give her some comfort - I have little doubt you have a lot in common.

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seanomelb | Jan 23, 2013, 05:52 PM EST
Meanolgrouch stevetar is not Irish he pretends he is just to denigrate us in any way he can. He's more to be pitied than laughed at.

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Meanolgrouch | Jan 23, 2013, 04:10 PM EST
Gasp! I committed a grammatical error in my post below, partly because we can't preview our entries first. It's easier to catch errors that way. Anyhow, it should be "EVER" rather than "NEVER"; otherwise we find ourselves with a double negative, which will never do for the daughter of a teacher. Sorry, Mom.

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Meanolgrouch | Jan 23, 2013, 04:07 PM EST
Steven, you say "NO IRISH PERSON OVER HERE IN IRELAND GOES ON LIKE THE WAY PEAOPLE LIKE YOU GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT THE PAST" May I ask where you skipped school, especially grammar and spelling class? My grandfather and great-g. fought with the saint Michael Collins, and my dad was the first of us born in the U.S., and he married a pure Irish lady, so I'm Irish enough to speak on this subject. It's never been my experience that any real Irish folk NEVER hush when it comes to critical matters of history and social justice. So either you're no real Irishman yourself, or you're deaf. Or do you bow and scrape before Lizzy the Hun? Anyone who does that disqualifies himself and should be shorn of his shamrock.

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STEVENSTAR | Jan 23, 2013, 09:39 AM EST
@@cillowen | Jan 22, 2013, 10:53 PM EST I THINK YOU NEED TO GET OUT MORE....100% CERTAIN YOUR ONE OF THESE AMERICANS WHO THINKS HIS IRISH BECAUSE NO IRISH PERSON OVER HERE IN IRELAND GOES ON LIKE THE WAY PEAOPLE LIKE YOU GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT THE PAST

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bobby | Jan 23, 2013, 08:58 AM EST
@Schlomo, the woman was suffering mental health problems, probably let down by the system. She harassed 2 elderly people for 14 years. You sound like you were dragged up. Rude and ignorant, your parents didn't do to good either.

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STEVENSTAR | Jan 23, 2013, 07:30 AM EST
WELL CONSIDERING THERE ARE MILLIONS OF IRISH LIVING ALL OVER THE UK ... ONE RACIST REMARK IS NOT SO BAD OUT OF MILLIONS.. IVE LIVED IN LONDON FOR 10 YEARS AND YOU COULDNT MEET A NICER PEOPLE ...'IRISH CENTRAL AGAIN PRININT ANTI BRITISH STORIES AGAINST IRISH AND BRITISH PEOPLE ALL PART OF THIS AMERICAN PROPAGANDA....WHICH IS BLOWN OUT OF ALL PROPORTION...

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Schlomo | Jan 23, 2013, 01:29 AM EST
If you've ever experienced a disfunctional Irish family (I have numerous times) you'd have a little understanding of why theis woman was driven to distraction. In many Irish families discipline is totally lacking. Anything and everything goes and there is absolutely NO concern for other people. Sorry, Ms Godefroid I believe you're the victim but in Politically Correct Socialist Europe you are the villian fo defending your rights.

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cillowen | Jan 22, 2013, 10:53 PM EST
Normal enough for Merry O Remember that in 1641 Ireland had a population of 1,466,000 and by 1652 the population was down to only 616,000. According to Sir William. Petty, ``850,000 were wasted by the sword, plague, famine, banishment during the Confederation War 1641-1652.'' By the end of the war estimates vary from 80,000 to 130,000 of Irish men, women and children captured for sale as slaves to labour in England's expanding empire. The English were quite proud of these accomplishments as can be noted in Prendergast, ``Thurloe's State Papers'' (published in London in 1742), ``It was a measure beneficial to Ireland, which was thus relieved of a population that might trouble the planters; (NI Planted Ones) it was a benefit to the people removed, who might thus be made English and of England type Christian, a great benefit to the West Indies sugar planters, who desired men and boys for their bondsmen, and the women and Irish girls to solace them''.

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curtisjohnson | Jan 22, 2013, 10:06 PM EST
“. . . knocking loudly on wall in the early hours of the morning, at 3am, and singing or making whale noises.” LOL – at least this behavior fits its appearance. The british terrr state frequently produces these types of lovely, balanced citizens who are frequently captured sharing their deep sense of british identity with the rest of the world (football matches, holidays in Spain, etc.). These alien types of limeys should be returned to their schleswig-holstein swamp land.

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