A woman in England has been fined 500 pounds and served with an Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO) following complaints from her neighbours about the racket she made during sex. Caroline Cartwright, 47, was found guilty of breaching a noise abatement notice served on her after 25 complaints to police about her marathon sex romps with husband Steve.  He avoided prosecution because he was less noisy than his more enthusiastic wife.

Now this crime seems to have taken some investigating.  Environmental Health placed recording equipment in the flat next door to the couple’s house. The Cartwrights’ neighbour, Rachel O’Connor pressed a button on the machine every time she was disturbed by noise from next door.  She said:

“I heard sounds of a sexual nature, they were really loud, and there was a lot of moaning and groaning and screaming as if in pain.
“It wasn’t just the woman, it came from both parties.”

Also Ms O’Connor told the court that when she first moved in around November 2007, the noise started at midnight and lasted until 3am.  Now, she said, the noise started at about 6.30am and lasted until 9am.

Environmental Health officer Pamela Spark, told the court she had heard 23 recordings of the couple having sex.  She said:

“There was an excessive screaming female voice on the recordings.
“I felt that the noise was a clear breach of the abatement notice at that level.”

Another neighbour, partially-deaf Margery Ball, said she had not had a decent night’s sleep in two years because of the Cartwrights.

Yet another, Anne Dimmock, said:

“It’s a very loud noise. I thought it was domestic violence, it was that unnatural.”

The original story in the English Sun tabloid it came from also mentioned more lurid details, saying neighbours reported “moaning, groaning, screaming and even SLAPPING”. (Their emphasis not mine).  They also reported that Mrs Cartwright told the court:

“I can’t understand why people ask me to be quiet. It’s normal to me.”

I wonder how much the prosecution of this terrible crime cost.  How long for instance did it take to accumulate those 23 recordings? Days, weeks, months?

And the answer to my question in the title of this post … clearly both, and more.