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Two louts forced a scared family to flee their home when they caused £20,000 worth of damage on a drunken rampage after being asked to keep the noise down.
Single mum-of-five Paula Gardiner, 39, and her pal Tanisha Morris, 29, damaged vehicles parked in their victim's driveway after a bender.
The row was sparked after Gardiner's neighbour asked her to keep the noise down on the morning of August 30, 2020.
Minutes later a taxi arrived with Morris getting out and together they unleashed the shocking attack, causing £20,459 of damage.
The pair’s rampage saw them boot the neighbour’s door and smash wing mirrors and windscreen wipers on their cars, the Stoke Sentinel reports.
The shocking incident – captured on CCTV – left the family ‘scared to death’, forcing them to flee Stoke-on-Trent, the city’s crown court heard.
Gary Cook, prosecuting, told the court the neighbour had previously been kept awake by noise at night and asked Gardiner if she could keep it down.
Mr Cook told the court: “A taxi arrived next door and there was banging on his front door. One of the panels was brought inwards. Morris was hitting it. There was a group telling him to come outside. He told them police were on their way and they returned back to the house.
“The victim has moved his family out of Stoke-on-Trent. His children have had to change schools. They have moved away from friends and family. He said ‘I was scared to death’.”
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Both defendants pleaded guilty to criminal damage but walked free from court after being handed suspended sentences.
Simon White, representing Gardiner, said: “She is ashamed of her behaviour. She is a single mother to five children. Her 18-year-old has mental health difficulties. Her 16-year-old has a very great career ahead in law. They are dependent upon her. She has no financial support from the fathers. Two of her children have autism. She is devastated by her behaviour.”
Stuart Muldoon, representing Morris, said: “She had a traumatic car accident in August 2021. She was a victim of someone driving dangerously. She spent one month in hospital. She injured her back and is stuck in a wheelchair. She is ashamed of her actions. If she did not get in that taxi she would not be before the court.”
Gardiner was sentenced to 10 months in prison, while Morris was sentenced to 13 months in jail, both suspended for 18 months. They must pay £2,000 compensation each to the victim and adhere to an overnight curfew enforced by an electronic tag.
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