A mother made her neighbours' live hell by having noisy sex in her home, a court heard. Gemma Walker, 31, was also recorded playing loud music, shouting and swearing loudly in her terraced property in Middlesbrough. The single mother - who is on benefits - was fined £300 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs after admitting breaching an order to keep the noise down. Teesside Magistrates' Court was told neighbours Ian and Susan Nicholls had to put up with constant noise coming from Walker's home. Katharine Metcalfe, for Middlesbrough Council, said the couple could not relax in their own home and had suffered stress and sleepless nights. This had exacerbated Mr Nicholls' health problems, including cancer and brain tumours, while his wife had difficulties going to work because of lack of sleep. She was issued with a noise abatement order last September - but was recorded breaching it six times in under three months. Walker was warned on several occasions and was made aware of the penalties for breaching the notice. The single mother had denied six offences of breaching the notice but changed her plea to guilty just before a trial was due to take place. She did not attend court and the case was heard in her absence. Walker's solicitor Ben Tighe said she had sensibly pleaded guilty as she wished to spare the couple the ordeal of a trial, for which she deserved credit. Mr Tighe said any financial penalty would have a significant impact on her because she was unemployed. Walker was fined a total of £300 - £50 for each of the six offences - as well as £1,000 towards the costs and a £15 victim surcharge. Afterwards Mr Nicholls, 56, said: 'It has been a nightmare, shouting, swearing, listening to her having sex, all that kind of stuff. It has not been fun.' Councillor Charlie Rooney, Middlesbrough Council's Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: 'This sort of persistent and unreasonable behaviour is totally unacceptable and this case shows we will not hesitate to take action to protect communities from this sort of nuisance.'