A woman who narrowly escaped imprisonment for throwing black paint over her sister-in-law at a wedding has finally spoken out. Antonia Eastwood, aged 49, received a suspended 10-month jail sentence for the revenge attack on Gemma Monk, aged 35, at Oakwood House Register Office in Maidstone in May 2024. This act resulted in black paint splattering Gemma’s white wedding dress in front of stunned guests, but Gemma bravely continued with the ceremony after changing into a different outfit.
Mrs. Eastwood, married to Gemma’s brother Ashley, admitted to carrying out the attack as payback for an earlier incident at her own wedding the year before. In her first public statement post-sentencing, she expressed deep regret, stating, “I feel ashamed of myself. It’s not me. I’ve never been in trouble with the police before. Ever.”
Addressing the media, she revealed the emotional toll of the sentencing, sharing, “I had a full-blown panic attack on the day I was sentenced. I was petrified I’d go to prison. It has all taken its toll.” Ashley, her husband, recounted an alleged altercation at their 2023 wedding, leading to a feud that excluded them from Gemma’s wedding.
Eastwood, now residing in Manchester, was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court for two counts of criminal damage. The court disclosed that the costs for repairs and “loss of revenue” at Oakwood House post-incident amounted to a minimum of £5,000.
In a poignant victim impact statement presented in court, Gemma expressed the profound impact of the attack, stating, “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, whether I had done something wrong.” She further described the emotional distress she endured, losing her sense of self and dignity, turning what should have been a joyous occasion into a haunting memory for herself and her family.