by Danny Boyle

A victim of a black woman who hurled a torrent of racial abuse at white neighbours has spoken out after she escaped prison.

Church-goer Carol Maxwell (pictured left, by Mike Gunnill) launched a three-hour racist and foul-mouthed tirade at Andrew Thorn.

The 44-year-old called him a "honky" and a white "b******" during the verbal attack outside his flat in Main Road, Sutton-at-Hone.

She denied racially aggravated harassment, but was convicted by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court.

Judge Charles Macdonald QC branded Maxwell "an entrenched racist" as he sentenced her to 26 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

Now former neighbour Joanne McLaughlin has told of her ordeal at the hands of Maxwell.

The 31-year-old accounts worker lived next door to her in a flat above a parade of shops for more than two years until Maxwell moved in December.

She said she was regularly subjected to racial abuse.

Miss McLaughlin said: "Living next to her was an absolute nightmare. She would just scream and shout racial abuse through her door for no reason at all.

"It was worse in the summer when she would sit outside. All we wanted was to keep ourselves to ourselves."

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Thorn was walking to his flat last August when Maxwell hurled racial abuse littered with expletives.

Neil Sandys, prosecuting, said: "The tirade of abuse continued for some three hours."

Mr Thorn called his landlord and police after a bottle flew through the air and smashed next to his car.

However, it was said Maxwell's aggressive and abusive behaviour continued when they arrived.

Maxwell, now of Rochester Street, Chatham, was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.