A pensioner has avoided jail after spraying ant-killer into her terminally ill neighbour’s eyes in a row over parking.
Sally Beaney robbed her neighbour, Matthew Perry, of “precious” years, a court heard.
The 75-year-old “revelled in making other people’s lives very difficult” and had an “obsession to control”.
Mr Perry, who has late-stage cancer, suffered swelling on his eye from chemical burns and a “mild” corneal injury, the court heard.
Beaney admitted causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mr Perry, with whom she shares a driveway in Southampton, Hants, on 13 October 2025.
She appeared at Southampton Crown Court where she was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to work unpaid for 100 hours.
She was also handed an indefinite restraining order.
Mr Perry moved into the Southampton address 15 years ago with his wife Lucy and their two children.
Prosecuting, Gaylene Coles said that Mr Perry believed that he could park by the property for the entire time that he lived in the house.
“In June 2025 there was an issue between [the neighbours] with a lawnmower. After that notices began to appear about parking in the wrong place.
“[Mr Perry] realised his mistake and parked in the road.
“She began to block his parking and would leave objects out to block his parking.
“She would leave plant pots out throughout the summer months.”
Beaney would also film the family from her home and would shout at them as they came and went, the court heard.
Then, on 13 October 2025, she sprayed ant-killer into Mr Perry’s eyes as he left his home.
That was the only exit from his property and the attack came seemingly from nowhere, the court heard.
Mr Perry was rushed to hospital, where he was told he had minor chemical burns to his eyes and needed to take antibiotics and pain killers.
Speaking to the court, Mr Perry said: “It’s difficult to write this as admitting that Sally Beaney has had such an impact on our lives is exactly what we believe she wants to happen.
“She’s told us before that nobody will believe us because she’s a 75-year-old-woman and I’m a young 6ft 1ins man.
“We’re a normal family. This all came from an obsession to control the parking the properties share.
“I woke up with pain every morning for months and had to use antibiotics. If I did not have first aid training I wouldn’t have had treatment straight away, I would’ve had to wait for the ambulance to arrive and the damage would have been a lot worse.
“She is someone so obsessed and erratic that she’s impacted every aspect of our lives. The last years of our lives have been taken from us.
“A home should be a sanctuary but even coming and going has been ruined.
“If she’s willing to assault me, what could she do to my young son if he did something she didn’t like?
“The stress of dealing with her has led me to have a catastrophic terminal cancer diagnosis. I was told if it had been noticed earlier it could have been treated but I didn’t have the time to think about it.
“We feel totally trapped. We’ve been waiting for what she’ll do next. Even after being charged she has continued.
“My partner leaves the house recording on her phone in case she does something.
“Before Sally Beaney started her campaign against us we were a happy hopeful family. She’s left our property unsellable. It’s a catastrophic impact on any family.
“Due to her behaviour we inquired with past neighbours and even her family and they said this was normal for her. They said she revelled in making other people’s lives very difficult.”
Defending Beaney, Edward Armitage said: “In essence this is a dispute between two neighbours that has very regrettably spilled over into something more. She’s asked me to apologise on her behalf.”
Judge Nicholas Rowland praised Mr Perry’s courage in giving his statement.
Sentencing the pensioner, he told her: “Spraying Mr Perry in the face with ant poison is a deeply unpleasant offence. I can see from the footage that it was calculating.
“It comes against the background of what can only be described as he described it: the last year stolen from him and his family.
“Time is particularly precious for him and his family given his diagnosis.
“I hope you listened very carefully to what he said and how he said it – not only the terrifying courage he showed but how civilised he was after all the impact you had on him and his family which culminated in you spraying him on the eyes with ant-killer.
“You had no idea what that would do.
“You have no previous convictions. For some reason you have waited until this age to commit this offence.
“Obviously this case calls for a prison sentence – the only question is whether I suspend it. And it seems that due to the guidelines I have no option but to suspend it, but it is very serious.
“I’m putting an indefinite restraining order in place so hopefully Mr Perry and his family can have some comfort.
“I’m also sentencing you to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years and 100 hours of unpaid work.”
The restraining order stipulates that Beaney shouldn’t speak or communicate with the family, limit their ability to come and go from their home, and shouldn’t film or photograph them.
