A SMALL 'angry' woman armed herself with a piece of wood before smashing up three of her neighbours' cars in a 'revenge attack' over parking.
Annette Kealy of Malvern Road, Worcester told officers she had 'just had enough' when she attacked the cars, smashing the windscreen of two of the vehicles, including one belonging to an 'intimidating' neighbour 'twice her size'.
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The 56-year-old admitted possession of an offensive weapon and three charges of criminal damage against cars belonging to Bruce Powell, John Spinetto and Richard Breakwell.
DRINK: Annette Kealy had drunk wine and whisky before the incident
She further admitted common assault against Mr Breakwell - although she did not not actually hit him with the piece of wood - when she appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday.
The incident happened outside a block of flats in Worcester on February 3 at 10.45pm. She smashed the windscreens of Mr Breakwell's car and that of Mr Powell's car, also putting dents in the bonnet of Mr Powell's car. Mr Spinetto's car also suffered dents in the course of her swinging the wood at the other two cars.
SMALL: Annette Kealy was described as being half the size of her 'intimidating' neighbour. She is pictured here leaving court.
Sumreen Afsar, prosecuting, said Mr Breakwell went outside after hearing his car alarm going off and had 'tried to reason' with the defendant.
"He told her to calm down and go back inside. He states she was continually striking his vehicle, causing damage to that vehicle and another that belonged to another resident. A third vehicle was also damaged belonging to Mr Spinetto," said Mrs Afsar.
During the incident Kealy's partner also tried to calm her down and pull her back inside, the court heard. Mr Breakwell believed he was going to be assaulted but 'there was no actual assault' said Mrs Afsar.
"In interview she stated she just had enough and damaged the vehicles belonging to Mr Breakwell and Mr Powell and accidentally damaged the vehicle belonging to Mr Spinetto" said Mrs Afsar.
In a victim personal statement Mr Breakwell wrote: "I really don't want to live here anymore because of what has happened. I just want my windscreen and any damage to be paid for. I'm really concerned about what she will do in terms of repercussions."
Mrs Afsar, who described the incident as 'a revenge attack', said: "There was fear caused to Mr Breakwell."
Kealy had one caution from 2006 but no convictions at all before this matter.
Barry Newton, defending, disputed it was a 'revenge attack' and emphasised the offensive weapon was not a baseball bat but a piece of wood 3ft long and about an inch and a half thick.
He said: "Was it a revenge attack? (Mr Newton sighs heavily). It's not in my book a revenge attack - that suggests warring factions. This is a neighbour dispute where she has had a little bit too much to drink and lost her temper and taken out her anger on inanimate objects."
Mr Newton told magistrates she had drunk two large glasses of wine and a Jack Daniels. The Worcester solicitor asked that she be afforded maximum credit for her early guilty pleas and her co-operation with the police. "She says 'I lost my temper and smashed the cars up - it was me. I admit it. I lost it'. There has been falling out in recent times. She finds Mr Breakwell quite intimidating. She is barely 5ft tall. Mr Breakwell is 6ft tall and of large build. She thinks he's probably twice her weight.
"She has found behaviour by him intimidating and somewhat worrying to her. There was a falling out over the New Year period."
Mr Newton said there were no allocated spaces and that Mr Breakwell had been encouraging Mr Spinetto to park in a bay that had been used by Kealy's partner. He also stressed that no figure had been provided to the court about the damage caused. As they were all insured, the liability was going to be their excess on their insurance, he argued.
Magistrates fined her £200 and ordered her to pay £100 in compensation to each of the three victims of the criminal damage. Kealy was also ordered to pay a further £50 in compensation to Mr Breakwell for the common assault. A victim surcharge of £34 was also ordered. The money will be deducted from her benefits.
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