A disabled author and his wife turned their neighbour's dream retirement into "a nightmare" through a three-year hate campaign, a court has heard.
David and Jacqueline Aston allegedly targeted Robert and Marie Bain by constantly filming them, making false complaints to the police and council, and throwing glass into their garden.
Robert Bain, 64, told the court that the stress from the abuse had put his life at risk due to its impact on his blood pressure following a cancer diagnosis.
The civil engineer also claimed the couple's behaviour had turned life at his £500,000 retirement home in North Berwick, East Lothian, into "a nightmare".
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was previously informed that the Astons had spread shocking rumours about other neighbours.
The court also heard that residents were shocked to discover that David Aston, 55, had written a novel about a stroke victim who develops superpowers and takes revenge on his neighbours.
Mr Aston, a former chartered accountant, wrote and self-published A Stroke of Fortune after suffering serious injuries, including brain trauma and a massive stroke, in a road accident 10 years ago.
The novel recounts the tale of Dave, a stroke survivor who is scorned by his neighbours for being English, and in a twist of fate, gains mystical powers to exact retribution on them, reports Edinburgh Live.
Mr and Mrs Aston, both 58, are embroiled in a legal battle at the capital's courthouse, facing allegations of instigating a campaign of intimidation that left three neighbouring families in a state of fear and distress at their residence in Blackadder Crescent, North Berwick, from September 1, 2018, to October 11, 2021.
Robert Bain, who took the stand on Friday, recounted how he and his spouse Marie settled into the community back in 2018 and initially encountered no issues with the Astons.
However, he alleges that after a disagreement, the couple launched an "intimidating and upsetting" crusade against them. Bain testified that the Astons would incessantly film his family with mobile phones, an act so invasive it led to the cancellation of social gatherings in their own back garden.
He likened the relentless surveillance to "stalking" and detailed a shocking incident to the court where he claimed to have seen Mrs Aston hurl a recycling bin at his wife in an act of assault. When questioned about the toll taken by the Astons' conduct, the engineer expressed: "It's been horrendous."
"We moved to North Berwick to our dream home to retire to, but the dream has turned into a nightmare. There is constant harassment, we can't sit in our garden, we can't invite friends to our garden, we are always wary and we are walking on eggshells all the time.
"It has had a huge detrimental effect on my health such as sleeping patterns and work. I had prostrate cancer and one of the side effects is high blood pressure and I have to monitor my blood pressure on a daily basis and things like coming to court [means] my blood pressure goes up dangerously high."
Mrs Bain, 66, previously told the court that living next door to the Astons was "a living hell". She alleged the couple had made 248 mobile phone recordings of her family - including 67 in just one day.
She claimed the Astons took her to court after making "vexatious" complaints about her dogs Hamish and Brodie barking excessively. The recordings were disclosed as part of the evidence.
The trial also heard from high school teacher Catriona Henderson, 45, who claimed her family had been targeted by the Astons following their move to the estate. Ms Henderson alleged that Mrs Aston had made "malicious" reports to the General Teaching Council of Scotland and the NSPCC.
She further claimed her neighbours had reported her and her partner to Crimestoppers, alleging they were dealing Class A drugs from their four-bedroom family home. The teacher expressed her fear and concern after discovering Mr Aston had written a book featuring a character who develops superpowers and seeks revenge on his neighbours.
The summary trial before Sheriff John Cook continues next month.
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