Antonia Eastwood, 49, has spoken out for the first time after being convicted of throwing black paint over her sister-in-law on her wedding day. The incident occurred at Oakwood House Register Office in Maidstone in May 2024, leaving the bride, Gemma Monk, 35, with black paint splattered across her white wedding dress in front of shocked guests. Despite the attack, Gemma continued with the ceremony after changing into another outfit.
The motive behind the attack
Eastwood, who is married to Gemma's brother Ashley, claims the attack was an act of revenge for an incident at her own wedding the year before. Speaking to the press, Eastwood said: "I feel ashamed of myself. It's not me. I've never been in trouble with the police before. Ever." She added that she had a panic attack on the day of her sentencing and was terrified of going to prison.
Ashley recalled an alleged incident at their wedding in 2023, claiming Gemma "had her foot in the aisle as Toni walked past." This started a feud that led to Ashley and Antonia not being invited to Gemma's wedding.
Court proceedings and impact
Eastwood was handed a 10-month jail term suspended for 12 months at Maidstone Crown Court for two counts of criminal damage. The court heard that the cost of repairs and loss of revenue at Oakwood House amounted to at least £5,000.
In a victim impact statement, Gemma said: "To have paint thrown over me by my brother's wife changed my outlook on life and made me question whether I had done something really bad." She added: "Since the incident, if it wasn't for my children or my family, I don't think I would even get out of bed to care for myself. I have lost all my dignity and good habits in life."
Eastwood, who now lives in Manchester, expressed remorse but maintained that the attack was driven by the earlier incident at her own wedding.
