ABERGAVENNY "neighbour from hell" Dorothy Evans was taken from her latest court appearance in an ambulance today following a fall.

Mrs Evans, 81, of Park Crescent, Abergavenny, South Wales, was injured during an appeal against conviction and sentence in May of this year for driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident.

Evans was found guilty by Caerphilly magistrates of committing the offences in her K-registration Metro during the evening of October 20 2005.

For that trial, Evans had to be brought to court from custody after being jailed for six months at Cardiff Crown Court in April for one count of harassment and six breaches of her anti-social behaviour order.

She has since completed her custodial sentence and arrived at Cardiff Crown Court today by taxi.

Due to an administration error by the Crown Prosecution Service, one of the five prosecution witnesses was absent today but Judge Phillip Richards decided the appeal would be part heard despite loud and vocal protestations from Evans, who was complaining she was ill and had a hospital appointment.

When defending barrister Andrew Barcello withdrew his services after saying he had lost the confidence of his client, Judge Richards warned Evans she would either have to find someone else to represent her or defend herself in court.

During an adjournment a short time later, Evans appeared to fall down a small set of steps in court and subsequently complained of an injured knee.

After an usher qualified in first-aid had applied an ice pack and decided an ambulance was needed to take Evans to hospital, Judge Richards said he had no choice but to adjourn the appeal for a mention next week.

He said: "It is regrettable and I very much regret the inconvenience caused to prosecution witnesses but there is very little we can do about it."

Two ambulance crew men arrived shortly afterwards to take Evans to hospital.