18. (1) A person commits an offence if he or she causes or attempts to cause any threat, intimidation or harassment, coerces, obstructs, impedes, or interferes with—

(a) an officer or employee of a housing authority in respect of the exercise of a function of the authority by such officer or employee, or

(b) a member of the family or household of such an officer or employee in contemplation or as a consequence of the exercise of functions of the housing authority by the officer or employee, or

(c) any person who provides or is to provide evidence in any proceedings under this Act or Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014.

(2) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a class A fine or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.]