When Corrine Rotherham and her husband Peter purchased their dream bungalow in the picturesque Wiltshire village of Urchfont in 2011 for £675,000, they were overjoyed. The property, located on a private road in a village that had won a Best Kept Village award for two consecutive years, seemed idyllic. However, their hopes for a quiet life were shattered by their neighbour, Zoi Hayes, now 68, whose campaign of harassment turned their lives into a 'living nightmare'.
The Harassment Campaign
Over the years, Hayes engaged in a series of disturbing acts. She spied on the couple through a hole cut in her hedge, banged her wheelie bin outside their bedroom window at 5:45 am, and even threw five rotting mole corpses into their garden. Her behaviour escalated to the point where a restraining order was issued, prohibiting her from contacting the Rotherhams for five years. Despite this, the abuse continued.
Latest Incident: The Lawnmower Spat
In July last year, the Rotherhams hosted a dinner party for eight friends in their garden for the first time in years. Hayes responded by turning on her lawnmower and leaving it running for over an hour, deliberately trying to spoil the gathering. The guests eventually confronted her with a hidden camera, and she admitted to the act. This led to her appearance at Salisbury Magistrates' Court, where she admitted harassment by breach of restraining order. She now faces possible jail time when sentenced next month.
Impact on the Victims
Corrine Rotherham described the ordeal as 'absolute hell', comparing it to living with a Peeping Tom. The couple spent thousands on new fence panels to keep Hayes out and often hid inside their home to avoid her. Hayes would shout abuse, call them names, and even threw a jug of water over Mrs Rotherham. Despite the trauma, the Rotherhams have refused to leave their beloved home, determined not to let Hayes drive them away.
Background of the Feud
Hayes moved into her £1 million home in Urchfont in 2003. The village, known for its charm, won the Campaign to Protect Rural England's 'winner of winner' award for Best Kept Village in 2024 and 2025. The Rotherhams moved in next door in 2011, and the dispute began shortly after. Hayes had a previous conviction in 2021 for damaging property and received a suspended sentence in 2023 for breaching the restraining order.
Court Proceedings
In court, prosecutor Cristiane Finlay described the lawnmower incident as a deliberate breach of the order, intended to frustrate and annoy the Rotherhams. Defence lawyer Raymond Tan noted that Hayes had moved out of the village in January and no longer lives next to the couple. The case highlights the severe toll that neighbour disputes can take on mental health and quality of life.
