A drunken woman suddenly turned nasty and repeatedly used a hammer to smash up the night pay hatch of a petrol station during a frightening and bad-tempered confrontation in the early hours of the morning.
It was a “gross over-reaction” by her to brandish the hammer, make threats to others and cause serious damage worth £1,000 after she had been drinking heavily that night, Hull Crown Court heard.
Claire Phelan, 41, of Clanthorpe, Orchard Park estate, Hull, admitted offences of possessing a hammer as an offensive weapon, causing criminal damage and using threatening words or behaviour 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.
Phelan came towards them and she arrived outside the night pay hatch. Straight away, she 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. She had suffered problems.
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.