A bride's wedding day descended into chaos when her sister-in-law threw black paint over her £1,800 white gown moments before the ceremony. The attack, captured on video, left Gemma Monk's dress ruined but she bravely continued with the wedding after changing into another outfit.
Antonia Eastwood, 49, carried out the revenge act at Oakwood House in May 2024, claiming she acted on the 'spur of the moment' after an alleged incident at her own wedding the previous year. Eastwood, married to Gemma's brother Ashley, was not invited to the wedding due to a family feud.
Despite the attack, Eastwood narrowly avoided prison and was handed a 10-month jail term suspended for 12 months at Maidstone Crown Court for two counts of criminal damage. The court heard the bill for repairs and loss of revenue at the venue was at least £5,000.
In a victim impact statement, Gemma said the incident had turned the most special day of her life into her worst memory, leaving her struggling to get out of bed. She said: 'I have lost all my dignity and good habits in life. I have lost who I used to be.'
Eastwood, now living in Manchester, expressed shame and said she had a panic attack on the day of sentencing, fearing she would go to prison. She claimed the black paint was in her car by coincidence, used for her granddaughter's handprints.
