OAP, 75, avoids jail after spraying ant killer in terminally ill neighbour’s eyes amid ‘obsession’ over shared driveway

A PENSIONER has avoided jail after she sprayed ant poison into her terminally ill neighbour’s eyes amid a parking row and told him “no-one would believe him”. Sally Beaney, 75, “revelled in making other people’s lives very difficult” and robbed her cancer-stricken neighbour of “precious” years, a court heard. Sally Beaney avoided jail for attack on terminally ill man Credit: Solent Sally Beaney’s home, driveway and neighbouring driveway Credit: Solent The father-of-two with “late stage cancer”, Matthew Perry, was left with swelling on his eye from “minor chemical burns” and a “mild corneal injury” on October 13, 2025. OAP Beaney admitted causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mr Perry, with whom she shares a driveway in Southampton, Hants. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, the pensioner was handed a 12-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to work unpaid for 100 hours. Sally Beaney outside Southampton Crown Court Credit: Solent Signs placed in plant pots outside Sally Beaney’s home and driveway. Credit: Solent She was also handed a restraining order. Defending Beaney, Edward Armitage said: “In essence this is a dispute between two neighbours that has very regrettably spilled over into something more. She’s asked me to apologise on her behalf.” Mr Perry moved into the address, in Southampton, 15 years ago with his wife Lucy and their two children. When notices from Beaney appeared informing Mr Perry he was parked in the wrong place – he began to park in the road – but the pensioner left objects, such as plantpots to block his way in. Disputes over shared parking turned sour through Beaney’s “obsession to control”, filming the family as they came and went from their home while shouting at them. Most read in The Sun After the “calculated” attack, the elderly lady told her neighbour that no one will believe him because she is a “75 year-old woman” and he is a “young 6ft 1ins” man. Mr Perry was targeted through the only exit of his property – and soon after was rushed to hospital, where they gave him antibiotics and painkillers. Speaking to the court, Mr Perry said: “It’s difficult to write this as admitting that Sally Beaney has had such an impact on our lives is exactly what we believe she wants to happen. Neighbours said Beaney ‘revelled in making other people’s lives very difficult’ Credit: Solent Beaney blocked her neighbours cars with plant pots Credit: Solent “She is someone so obsessed and erratic that she’s impacted every aspect of our lives. The last years of our lives have been taken from us. “A home should be a sanctuary but even coming and going has been ruined. “If she’s willing to assault me, what could she do to my young son if he did something she didn’t like? “The stress of dealing with her has led me to have a catastrophic terminal cancer diagnosis. I was told if it had been noticed earlier it could have been treated but I didn’t have the time to think about it. “We feel totally trapped. We’ve been waiting for what she’ll do next. Even after being charged she has continued. “My partner leaves the house recording on her phone in case she does something. “Before Sally Beaney started her campaign against us we were a happy hopeful family. She’s left our property unsellable. It’s a catastrophic impact on any family. “Due to her behaviour we inquired with past neighbours and even her family and they said this was normal for her. They said she revelled in making other people’s lives very difficult.” Judge Nicholas Rowland praised Mr Perry’s “terrifying courage” in giving his statement. Sentencing the pensioner, he told her: “Spraying Mr Perry in the face with ant poison is a deeply unpleasant offence. I can see from the footage that it was calculating. “It comes against the background of what can only be described as he described it: the last year stolen from him and his family. “Time is particularly precious for him and his family given his diagnosis. “I hope you listened very carefully to what he said and how he said it – not only the terrifying courage he showed but how civilised he was after all the impact you had on him and his family which culminated in you spraying him on the eyes with ant-killer. “You had no idea what that would do. “You have no previous convictions. For some reason you have waited until this age to commit this offence.”