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. Gemma Monk was preparing to marry childhood sweetheart Ken Monk at Oakwood House in May 2024 when Antonia Eastwood, 49, carried out the vindictive attack in front of shocked guests.
Despite the dress being ruined, the bride changed into another outfit and went ahead with the wedding. Eastwood, who is married to Gemma's brother Ashley, claimed she acted on the 'spur of the moment' in revenge for an alleged incident at her own wedding the previous year. Ashley recalled that Gemma 'had her foot in the aisle as Toni walked past,' sparking a feud that led to the couple not being invited to Gemma's wedding.
Eastwood narrowly avoided prison and was handed a 10-month jail term suspended for 12 months at Maidstone Crown Court for two offences of criminal damage. The court heard the bill for repairs and loss of revenue at the venue was at least £5,000. Eastwood, now living in Manchester, said the black paint happened to be in her car as she had been using it for her granddaughter's handprints and footprints.
In a victim impact statement, Gemma said: 'To have paint thrown over me by my brother's wife changed my outlook on life... This has turned the most special day of my life into the worst memory I will never forget, and neither will my family.' Eastwood expressed shame, saying: 'I feel ashamed of myself. It’s not me. I’ve never been in trouble with the police before. Ever.'
