A bride has described how her fairytale wedding day turned into a nightmare after her sister-in-law threw black paint over her in a revenge attack. Gemma Monk, 35, was preparing to marry her partner of more than 20 years, Ken, at Oakwood House Register Office in Maidstone when the incident occurred.
The attack was carried out by Antonia Eastwood, 49, the wife of Gemma's older brother Ashley. Eastwood, who now lives in Manchester, admitted two counts of criminal damage at Maidstone Crown Court. The court heard that the cost of repairs and loss of revenue at the venue exceeded £5,000.
Despite the ordeal, Gemma composed herself, cleaned up in a changing cubicle, and slipped into a replacement dress before marrying Ken. She said: 'We had waited for that day for so long. Nothing was going to stop me. She was determined that the wedding was not going to happen.'
The feud began a year earlier at Eastwood's own wedding, where Gemma was falsely accused of trying to trip her up. Neither Eastwood nor her husband were invited to Gemma's wedding. Brother Ashley has since disowned his sister, saying: 'We don't want anything to do with her.'
Gemma, a mental health care worker, said she has battled depression and been unable to return to work since the attack. In a victim impact statement, she told the court: 'This has turned the most special day of my life into the worst memory I will never forget.' The couple also abandoned plans for a dream honeymoon to the Maldives.
