An aggressive gran dented a friend’s car with a hammer in a fall-out over alleged online schoolkid bullying – then made a warning in a phone call.
Furious Jacqueline Amass, 53, let rip on victim Ashleigh Lockhart’s silver Kia Picanto outside her South Shields home.
Her attack, on Wednesday, January 12, was in response to claims of bullying between schoolchildren.
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Amass, of Stanhope Road, South Shields, also smashed the vehicle’s lights and windows, causing a total of £900 of damage, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.
Despite making a racket, she was not caught in the act but confessed when her suspicious victim phoned her with the allegation.
During the call, Amass told Ms Lockhart, “That’s a warning, that’s a warning to you”, prosecutor Paul Anderson said.
He added: “It seems that the children had fallen out, causing these two ladies to have a fall out.
“The defendant turned up at the injured party’s house and was in an aggressive mood.
“There was a lot of banging noise from outside, but the complainant didn’t see what happened.
“It was her assumption that the defendant had damaged the car.
“She actually rang her up and said that she couldn’t believe what she had done.
“The defendant said, ‘That’s a warning, that’s a warning to you’.
“The windows and lights were damaged, and the car had been dented with a hammer.
“She admits to the police that she caused damage with the hammer.”
Amass, who had not been before the courts for over 20 years, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage.
Kevin Smallcombe, defending, admitted the attack was out of all proportion to the alleged incident between the children.
And he insisted there was no allegation Amass had gone armed with the hammer, but it was not revealed how it came into her possession.
Mr Smallcombe added: “She has gone to confront the complainant with conduct she accepts was unacceptable.
“She took her aggression out on the car rather than the mother of the child.
“They had been friends for some time, they had been friends for so many years.
“The friendship is gone but it should never have got to this stage. Common sense says they should stay apart.”
Magistrates adjourned the case for a report and Amass will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, February 22.
She was granted bail on condition she does not contact Ms Lockhart or enter John Reid Road and Winskell Road, both South Shields.
