Woman sent to prison for throwing lawnmower at neighbour

A woman has been jailed for throwing a lawnmower at her neighbour and threatening him with a knife in a dispute over noise. Gloria Christie, aged 42, had previously been convicted at trial of affray and having an offensive weapon. The offences relate to an incident on August 17 last year in Biddick Drive in Keyham, where Christie lived.

The court was told that Christie's neighbour Robert Webb had gone to complain that she was playing her music too loud while his child was trying to sleep. When Christie did not comply, Mr Webb reached into her home and switched off her music system, the court was told. Summarising the case, Judge Ian Leeming QC said slightly-built Christie, originally from Jamaica, started shouting at Mr Webb and threatened him with a piece of furniture outside in the street.

She then threw a lawnmower at 6ft 7in, 20-stone Mr Webb, the court was told, and threatened to get a knife. Judge Leeming continued: "You went inside the house and came out with two large kitchen knives and made to attack Mr Webb. You acted in a most peculiar fashion, banging on the ground in what one witness described as a ritual fashion, and you then brandished the knives very close to Mr Webb on a number of occasions. This was very alarming to him and to a number of witnesses who had come out into the street and were watching."

The judge said Christie had a number of similar convictions in the past, including two for threatening people with knives. A report commissioned by the judge after the trial revealed that although Christie had a troubled past, she had no psychological illnesses. Judge Leeming jailed Christie for 17 months, saying 90 days spent on remand would count towards her sentence.