Bristol woman's hammer attack in drunken rage

A Bristol woman has been ordered to pay £815 after breaking two of her neighbour's doors with a claw hammer in a drunken rage.

Karen Kelly broke both doors in Redwood House, The Groves, Hartcliffe, on the afternoon of Monday, August 24.

Kelly used to live in the same block of flats but since the incident has lived in Withywood with her new boyfriend.

Bristol Magistrates' Court heard that Kelly's rage was prompted by domestic violence from an ex-partner.

The first door she broke belonged to the best friend of her ex-partner and the second door belonged to the daughter of her ex-partner's best friend.

Kelly, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful damage. The doors belonged to Bristol City Council and cost £200 each.

One of the attacks was captured by a resident on the CCTV camera set up outside their house. The court was told that the resident watched Kelly attack the door, while recording the CCTV footage on to their mobile phone. Kelly and a friend were both arrested, but only Kelly was charged.

Magistrate Patricia Jell said: "You should not fight fire with fire. You are not going to achieve anything by behaving like that. You do not need alcohol. You are being totally and utterly selfish.

"This behaviour is totally unacceptable. For a woman of your age to go out and attack someone else's door totally drunk is frankly pathetic. What are you doing to yourself? For God's sake, live."

Kelly was ordered to pay £400 in compensation, a fine of £320, court costs of £80 and a victim surcharge of £15.