A couple terrorised by a nightmare neighbour for over two years have told how their first home together turned into a 'living hell'.

Drina Gray harassed victims Ben Stanley, 32, and Emma Williams, 31, "morning, noon and night" in a relentless campaign of abuse.

The 52-year-old smashed two Ring doorbells in less than a year, issued regular chilling threats via cameras and took her dog to dirty their doorstep.  

Ben and Emma had only been dating for around six months before they moved in together - hoping to build a home with the prospect of starting a family together.

However, after council tenant Gray moved into the flat below them, their blissful domestic dreams were soon dashed.

The couple say they were unable to read a book, watch TV or even sleep at night due to their neighbour's wild antics.

Drina Gray has been jailed (image via SWNS)

The nightmare neighbour has finally been put behind bars after admitting to charges of harassment intended to put in fear of violence, two charges of criminal damage and a public order offence of using threatening words and behaviour.

She was jailed for 40 months at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday 25 June with the judge telling her she'd made the pair's lives "hell".  

Ben says the frustrating saga they went through to get justice has left him with "little faith" in his local council, police and the justice system.

But despite feeling "let down" by the authorities, the couple are glad to know their neighbour is finally behind bars.

Ben said: "It's kind of bittersweet, in a sense.

"It has taken so long to get here, but now we are here, it has all been worth it.

"It was a really insane time. 

"It took an awful lot of resilience and courage to keep going.

"It kept getting adjourned and you lose hope in the courts and the police.

"But we carried on and she has got the sentence she deserves."

She smashed two ring doorbells in the space of a year (image via SWNS)

Ben bought his first flat in Wandsworth, southwest London, in 2022.

But when council tenant Gray moved into the flat below the following April, his life was turned upside down.

After reporting her for kicking her dog, Gray launched into a "relentless" campaign that made Ben and his partner prisoners in their own home.

In the months that followed, Gray smashed their Ring doorbells, regularly threatened them and left dog mess on their doorstep.

Product manager Ben says he even lost his job at a start-up company because of the lack of sleep he was getting as Gray blasting loud music and hoovering the communal hallway in the early hours of the morning.

Countless disturbing videos captured by Ben's cameras show Gray shouting, swearing and threatening him.

Emma, who works in marketing, said that though Gray had made their first time living together challenging, she was 'proud' that they had come out the other side together.

"We had been together six months when I moved in," she said.

"I had spent a long time looking for someone special. I was so excited to live with Ben.

"It was going to be our first home together and we want to have a family. 

"But it just turned into what was literally a living hell.

"It was really testing on our relationship, but I am really proud we have not taken it out on each other."

Emma said Gray took a disliking to her when she moved in, as her partner was one of the only people she had contact with.

"I use the word obsession because it was that level," she said.

"Drina would always make a point of calling me the wrong name. She was so manipulative.

"Ben was the only one who gave her the time of day. I think she thought I was a threat to that.

"She would text really inappropriate things to Ben, like 'you have really nice eyes - but don't tell your girlfriend I said that' and 'why don't you take me on holiday?'.

"It was always directed at Ben. I think she was annoyed that I was there."

The couple were so terrified of Gray - who issued regular death threats to them through their cameras and had previous convictions for violence - that they even kept a baseball bat next to the front door.

Emma also says she was so afraid to be home alone with Gray that she wouldn't leave the house on her own.

"If I knew she was there, I wouldn't want to go outside," she said.

"I would change plans or ask Ben to come home before I went out. We really were trapped.

"She would sit on the stairs and hurl abuse at me, not letting me past.

"You couldn't hear the TV. She would have her music on full volume. It was always the same songs.

"I couldn't read a book. I couldn't work from home, because you would hear her music or her screaming things or the dog barking.

"I couldn't do anything - it was impossible to concentrate."

Ben admitted it was the psychological harm of Gray's abusive behaviour that was most difficult to deal with. 

He said: "What people don't really understand is the psychological and emotional impact it has on you.

"For me, that's far worse than anything physical. 

"I told the police I would rather she punched or stabbed me, so they would arrest her.

"Trying to sit down and watch TV and music starts blaring... at work, my Ring doorbell notification would be going off.

"We want to move on and move forward. 

"We just want to do what everybody else can do but takes for granted at home."

Emma added that though she still had a 'very small' amount of empathy for Gray, a letter she read to the judge at her sentencing - in which the criminal suggested Emma had been 'jealous' of her and her partner's relationship - was 'nasty'.

"When you say what she did in her letter, you're just a nasty person," she said.

"I think she enjoys pressing people's buttons.

"I think it just became a game for her."

Court hearings to deal with Gray were adjourned at least six times before she was finally jailed Wednesday 25 June. 

In an emotional victim impact statement, Ben told the courts Gray's abusive campaign had left him feeling "embarrassed, humiliated, numb" and even "suicidal".

Now Gray has finally been jailed for 40 months, the couple say they are looking forward to moving on with their lives.

"We have endured two and a half years of abuse from Drina, and that's likely the time she will serve in jail," Ben said.

"It was right not to suspend the jail term. 

"I think it was a harsh penalty, but one that is deserved.

"I was really happy with the outcome. 

"Will it change her? I don't know.

"But if it discourages her from doing it again, then that's a win."

Emma added: "Sometimes, we sit in silence and we are like 'this is so nice - we don't need to call any lawyers or the council or anyone'.

"It has been a challenging start to our relationship, but, hopefully it gets better from here."