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.
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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.
Read More Irish news here
“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.”
He said, “At one point we had my client on the floor on her knees so upset with the idea that the following day there would be a trial.
“She however insisted she was not guilty of the offence she had been charged with and she simply wanted it to go away.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.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).
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).
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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...
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.
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''.
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.
curtisjohnson | Jan 22, 2013, 10:05 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 terror 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.
anglo-norman | Jan 22, 2013, 06:27 PM EST
Lovely people the limeys can be at times...
seanomelb | Jan 22, 2013, 05:09 PM EST
John shiels as an Irishman I can assure you that their is a race difference.Some English people love to beat the Irish over the head with their perceived racial superiority. The miserable women mentioned seems to have a french/norman name.
SingleDonald | Jan 22, 2013, 05:09 PM EST
Ephraim Kibbey, When I was in 9th Grade, I was told of a teacher telling a joke, which targeted Italians. I went home and told my dad. He explained that anytime members of one ethnic group poke fun at another group, they are actually showing insecurity about their own group! That was a good lesson, which I have never forgotten.
bobby | Jan 22, 2013, 04:08 PM EST
From the mail online. A woman who racially abused her elderly Irish neighbours and their grandchildren during a 14-year campaign of harassment has been banned from speaking to the couple. Denise Godefroid repeatedly yelled at Veronica and James Hagans to go back to Ireland and, on one occasion, screamed at them to keep 'those bloody Irish children' quiet. A court heard the 63-year-old also called the couple 'f****** stupid Irish', banged loudly on their wall while making whale noises at 3am, and peered into their bedroom from her adjoining balcony. Her defence counsel said she has been diagnosed as suffering with 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'.
bobby | Jan 22, 2013, 03:33 PM EST
An English woman! Godefroid. I never heard any english woman with that name. Godefroid means God's Peace.......
Scrivner | Jan 22, 2013, 01:31 PM EST
Perhaps this problem should be blamed on the English National Health system. As R-Yank observed, this English woman probably has a mental problem...which was not addressed for 14 years!
EphraimKibbey | Jan 22, 2013, 01:29 PM EST
johnshiel - During the 19th century In America the Irish were often believed to be of a "subhuman" race. If you goggle Nash Cartoons, you will see the ugly face of Anglo-American anti-Irish racism at its worst. Humans seem to always justify their hatred of other groups of humans by saying that they are inferior evolutionary branches while whatever group they themselves are part of must be the pinicle of perfection. Sort of pathetic when you think about it. Bullies must always put down others inorder to feel better about their own poor self image.
johnshiel | Jan 22, 2013, 01:01 PM EST
"the definition of race" clearly does not exist... thanks to the snotty offering from r-yank, I checked out online difinitions... so wildly varying as to confirm that no consensus exists... all the more reason to discounty this article about the crazy lady as a poor attempt to ride on the pc bandwagon...
acooney | Jan 22, 2013, 12:57 PM EST
What a nasty hateful ignorant cow. Why should the woman move letterbrick? Why would you let someone like this POS force you to move?
ReturnedYank | Jan 22, 2013, 11:01 AM EST
Probably a mental-health issue with the English woman more than anything else. She would be a nuisance to any neighbor. @johnshiel: I don't know if you have the internet where you come from so I looked up the definition of race for you. Here it is: "Race is a classification system used to categorize humans into large and distinct populations or groups by anatomical, cultural, ethnic, genetic, geographical, historical, linguistic, religious, or social affiliation."
Letterbrick | Jan 22, 2013, 10:35 AM EST
So move!!! Surely in the last 14 years they could have moved somewhere else if Mrs. Hagan is so afraid to leave her house on her own!!!!
johnshiel | Jan 22, 2013, 10:35 AM EST
as an american, I am mystified at the use of the term rascism in this story. how are the two sides here considered racially different?they differ in what I would term political ways, but not racially (as I see it(. can someone make this make sense for your non-euro readers?
liammurf | Jan 22, 2013, 10:03 AM EST
Not a surprise, happens everywhere, sorry to say. Shame
adrienrain | Jan 22, 2013, 09:47 AM EST
Charming........