Stephen Kent Smith fronts court for stalking

A bitter six-year-long war between two neighbours has wound up in a Gympie courtroom, with claims a 57-year-old man harassed a woman to the point she had to sell her house.

A 57-year-old man, who harassed his neighbour with offensive signs for almost six years, has fronted court on a stalking charge.

Gympie man Stephen Kent Smith, 57, pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Tuesday to a lone charge of stalking, relating to an ongoing issue with his then-neighbour.

The court heard Smith and the woman had been locked in a bitter war for almost six years before Smith was charged.

Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell told the court the battle began when Smith removed a fence between the two properties in December, 2016.

She said when the woman approached Smith, he told her “I can do what I want” and cut down two wooden posts which held the woman’s washing line and her gate.

Stephen Kent Smith (pictured) was involved in a six-year-long war with his neighbour where he put up offensive signs attacking her, Gympie Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

The war continued until 2021, during which time Smith put up at least three big signs in his front yard attacking his neighbour, all of which were readable from the road.

The court heard Smith also poured concrete on his neighbours driveway, and had written to her telling her not to come near his duplex home.

One sign, put up in 2019, claimed the woman had CCTV cameras pointed into Smith’s backyard and encouraged drivers to beep in support of having them removed, the court heard.

Stephen Kent Smith harassed his neighbour during their war, leaving Gympie Magistrates Court heard, to the point where she had to move away.

A second sign, put up in 2020, claimed the woman had poisoned one of Smith’s trees, and called her a “nasty liar b****”.

This behaviour eventually drove the woman to put her house up for sale in 2021.

Smith put up a third sign making outrageous claims about her home.

“(The sign) stated: ‘That fence sits on top of the ground, no foundation, backyard storm water floods this property, not legal, under house stinks like a swamp’,” Sgt Campbell said.

Stephen Kent Smith was fined $500 for the lone charge in Gympie Magistrates Court on Monday.

The house still sold and the woman moved to a new place which was just a 240 metre drive away.

Defence lawyer David Crews said his client’s actions were not serious in nature, despite his relentlessness.

He said Smith accepted he went “too far” when putting the signs up, and that by him harassing his neighbour, he forced her to move away.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan said Smith’s behaviour was “offensive”.

He was fined $500 and a conviction was not recorded.

Originally published as Stephen Kent Smith fronts court for stalking