Kennel owner forced to pay £93k legal bill after neighbour moans her barking dogs are too noisy
A KENNEL owner has been handed a £93,000 legal bill after a neighbour moaned that her barking dogs were too noisy.
Sharon Tidnam repeatedly ignored demands to reduce the sound travelling from her yapping hounds in Topcroft, Norfolk, a court heard.
Matthew McNiff, a barrister who lived 750m from Low Farm, made hundreds of iPhone recordings last year to prove Ms Tidnam hadn't obeyed a court order.
She was finally found guilty of breaching that order in June and ordered to pay Mr McNiff in compensation for moving costs.
District judge Malcolm Dodds told Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court: "This is a very sad case involving four extremely sad people."
I am absolutely devastated. I have done nothing wrong.
Sharon Tidnam, kennels owner
He said the case should never have come to court and that the whole matter could have been resolved amicably months ago, .
Ms Tidnam branded the ruling "horrendous" and said she and her husband Russell had spent £130,000 of their pensions to fight the private prosecutions.
And she criticised the defence's "Rolls Royce" approach to funding the lawsuit.
The couple has since installed acoustic prevention measures to their buildings but have just three months to fork out the massive fine.
Outside court, Ms Tidnam said: "I don't feel like I've done anything wrong. I haven't got that money, I don't have it."
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"I am absolutely devastated.
"The expense and having to pay in three months, I have limited means. The only money I have got is what's coming in the future, I have no savings.
"You can't call this justice."
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