Woman smashes up hatch at fuel station with hammer in early hours rampage

A woman who repeatedly smashed a hammer at a petrol station’s late night pay hatch in a drunken rampage, caused more than £1,000 worth of damage.

The frightening incident stemmed from a “gross over-reaction” by Claire Phelan who made threats as well as waving the hammer around after a heavy night drinking on May 20. Oliver Shipley, prosecuting, said that, in the early hours of the morning, a woman was serving at a petrol station in Dunswell, near Hull. Two males were there and they were buying drinks, Hull Live reported.

Phelan came towards them and arrived outside the night pay hatch. Straight away, the 41-year-old woman started swinging a hammer and hitting the glass with it three or four times. She hurled an insult regarding a woman and said: “That’s my boyfriend and you’re dead.”

It was not clear who the insult was directed against, said Mr Shipley. Phelan walked away and one of the males followed her. The damage caused to the pay hatch was estimated at £1,000. Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Phelan was intoxicated at the time of the incident. “She had been drinking quite heavily,” said Miss Thompson. “She lost her temper.”

Phelan had previously been working but was now on Universal Credit. Judge John Thackray KC told Phelan: “There was £1,000 worth of damage. Whatever the background, this was a gross over-reaction by you, brandishing a hammer, causing damage and making threats. It was aggravated by the fact that you were in drink and it is not excused by the fact that you were in drink. You haven’t really been in much trouble before.”

Phelan was given a one-year community order, with 20 days’ rehabilitation. She was ordered to pay £500 compensation for the damage.

Image Credits and Reference: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-smashes-up-hatch-fuel-34426140