A woman has been granted a lifelong restraining order against a neighbour who turned her life into a "living hell" in a row over smoking.
Mum Jacqueline McCaig spent over £20,000 pursuing Paul Richardson through the civil court for three years.
She claimed his "threatening and intimidating behaviour" left her in fear for her safety.
Jacqueline runs the Old Swan pub in Paisley in Scotland and Richardson previously lived in a flat above.
The Old Swan in Paisley
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He ended up being charged and pleading guilty to a part in an altercation that saw him shout, swear and make threats of violence. The incident arose after he complained to bar staff about a customer smoking a cigarette in the doorway of his close.
She said: "He seemed to think that because I ran the pub, I could get the charges against him dropped, something that I had no control over whatsoever."
"He started out quite reasonable, but this changed, and he became more intimidating. He'd be waiting for me to open up in the morning or standing outside as I locked up at night."
His actions made her feel very uncomfortable. She said: "On one occasion he stood across the street in the pouring rain taking pictures for five and half hours."
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Renfrewshire Council
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He also attempted to order a drink at the pub despite being banned.
"I felt as though he was targeting me, my female staff and my business. I genuinely thought I was going to be seriously harmed by him at some point," Jacqueline said.
"My life became a living hell - I was constantly wondering when or where he'd show up next. I was so worried that I was unable to sleep at night."
Despite making several complaints to police, Jacqueline was told there was nothing they could do as no crime had been committed. She was eventually advised by officers to apply through the courts for an interdict.
"It felt like it was the only way forward. Taking him to court was the only solution to get him to leave me alone," she said.
Sheriff Bruce Erroch KC found that Richardson had displayed abusive and vulgar sexual language towards Jacqueline. On various occasions he stared and stood outside the pub, smirking and laughing at her when she arrived for work.
The sheriff also found that Richardson's threats and harassment had caused her to suffer fear, alarm and distress. Witnesses told the court that Richardson made threats of "knowing gangsters".
During his evidence, kayak instructor Richardson denied being barred from the pub and claimed his issues were about cars blocking a loading bay. He said he had raised the issue with Renfrewshire Council.
Richardson denied using foul language or making vulgar comments towards Jacqueline. He insisted he was "not a man of violence or dishonesty" and denied having a vendetta against her.
Despite his denials, the lifelong order was granted on March 21 this year. Jacqueline, 45, said: "It has been years of absolute hell just to get this man to stop."
