HER REVENGE

A SCORNED woman took revenge when her lover ended their relationship, a court heard.

Mother-of-five Jacqueline Lacey went to the home of former boyfriend John Sullivan and smashed his possessions.

In a fit of rage she wrecked his computer, television, video and CD system. She destroyed a coffee table, a five-foot mirror, an alarm clock and bottles of aftershave.

She knocked a microwave on to the kitchen floor and broke five pictures.

amage

She also wrecked three valuable guitars owned by Mr Sullivan, a musician.

The court heard Mr Sullivan estimated the cost of damage to his basement flat in Wilbury Road, Hove, at between £5,000 and £7,000.

Lacey, a 42-year-old widow, admitted a charge of criminal damage when she appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court.

But Lacey, of Rowe Avenue, Peacehaven, disputed the value and at an earlier hearing magistrates ruled the damage at £2,000.

John Marsden-Lynch, prosecuting, said Mr Sullivan, a plumber, had ended their two-year relationship because she was putting pressure on him to make more of a commitment.

He said a sore point during their relationship was Mr Sullivan's close relationship with his ex-wife.

Peter Hofford, defending, told the court something just snapped that night because Lacey felt so betrayed after Mr Sullivan had spent the evening with his ex-wife.

Stipendiary magistrate James Shrimpton gave Lacey a two-year conditional discharge but made no compensation order.

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