News

'Affair' wife smashed window with hammer

By Tim Harris
December 19, 2012

A WOMAN accused of adultery by her husband smashed a window with a hammer after he shut her outside their home.

Kerrie Gardiner, 23, of York Road, broke the glass at the house in The Sidings, Aldershot, during an early morning row with husband Daniel on September 28.

Gardiner pleaded guilty to a criminal damage charge when she appeared at Aldershot Magistrates’ Court last Friday (December 14).

David Renwick, prosecuting, told the court how a domestic incident had taken place after Mr Gardiner was told his wife was being unfaithful.

Mr Renwick said: “The defendant’s husband received information from a friend about the way in which the defendant was behaving. He received some information that his wife was having an affair. He was clearly upset about this.”

Mr Renwick described how Mr Gardiner drove hundreds of miles from where he worked, arriving at around 7am to confront her.

“He arrived at the home address and clearly wanted to go in,” Mr Renwick continued.

“He tried to get in at the front and found a chain across the front door. He was let in by his wife, the defendant, and an exchange took place. It was a heated argument.”

Mr Renwick described how the defendant ended up being shut outside the house, with her husband inside.

He added: “She made it quite clear she wanted to come into the house. She said ‘if you do not let me in I am going to put the window in’ - and that is exactly what happened.”

When interviewed by police, the defendant admitted having a man at the house and also breaking the window with the hammer.

Gardiner told officers she smashed the window because "she wanted to get into the house and Danny would not let her in", the court was told.

Magistrates heard that the defendant claimed Mr Gardiner had winded her up and called her "a cheat", and that she had a previous conviction for a similar offence from 2004.

Anthony Egan, defending, said: “Mr Gardiner has sent one of his friends round to check up on his wife. As a result of the information fed back to the husband he drove 350 miles at 7am, banging on the door to get in.

“There is a big argument, he demands her mobile phone and she does not want to give it to him. She ends up getting thrown out onto the street. It is seven in the morning, she is out in the street in her pyjamas.”

Mr Egan described how there was lots of shouting and said the defendant lost her temper in what was an "angry situation".

Chairman of the court Paul Bryson ordered Gardiner to pay compensation of £750 to property owners Annington Homes. The defendant was also told to pay a £20 contribution to court costs.

Her early guilty plea was taken into account.