Karen Louise Feder was armed with a crowbar when she smashed five car windows in a dispute with her neighbour

A woman’s neighbour captured video footage of an incident where she smashed car windows and gave it to the police. As it turned out, this was only the first of her attacks in a nasty ongoing dispute. Read what happened here.

A Rockhampton mother armed with a metal crowbar smashed five car windows in a “bad blood” attack against her neighbour.

Karen Louise Feder, 40, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on March 29 to two counts of wilful damage, public nuisance and obstructing police.

The court heard that on February 20, about 2.40am, police were called by a Kelman Street resident who reported that her neighbour, Feder, was damaging property.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said Feder’s neighbour gave police video footage of the incident.

Snr Const Rowe said Feder went to the residence next door armed with a metal crowbar.

“(Feder) swung the bar multiple times at the flyscreen causing damage,” Snr Const Rowe said.

“(Feder) has then walked approximately 10m to the victim’s vehicle and has smashed five of the victim’s windows.”

When police arrived, they saw the damage that had been caused.

Snr Const Rowe said police spoke to Feder who did not wish to provide a version of events and she was subsequently arrested.

“(Feder) was asked to accompany police to the watch-house, however refused to leave her dwelling,” Snr Const Rowe said.

“Police gave (Feder) warnings in relation to obstructing behaviour and she was told that police would remove her with force.

“(Feder) continued to obstruct police, staying within her dwelling.”

Snr Const Rowe said after giving Feder multiple warnings, police grabbed her arms and escorted her to a nearby police vehicle.

“(Feder) has slipped the grasp of an officer and attempted to run from police.”

Snr Const Rowe said police got Feder and pinned her to the rear of the police vehicle.

“(Feder) continued to struggle with police and police had to restrain her by placing handcuffs on her.

“A further warning was given verbally to (Feder) as she continued to pull the officer’s thumb back to avoid handcuffs being placed on her.”

Feder was eventually handcuffed and taken to the watch-house.

In relation to the public nuisance offence, Snr Const Rowe said while Feder was being arrested, she yelled obscenities at the neighbours.

Snr Const Rowe said that after being warned, Feder yelled “over and over again” at police: “Cuff me c---. I’ll f--- you up.”

“The neighbours surrounding (Feder’s) residence have turned on their lights and come out to see what was happening.”

The other wilful damage offence happened on March 5.

Snr Const Rowe said about 6.20pm on that day, police were called in relation to Feder damaging property outside a Kelman St residence.

“The victim and a witness were dropping their friend home, who was the neighbour of (Feder).

“At this time, (Feder) was in the front yard, washing her car.

“As the victim drove past (Feder’s) address after dropping the friend home, (Feder) raised the hose she was using to wash her car and sprayed the victim’s car.

“The victim, who was the driver of the car, stopped the car immediately after being sprayed and got out of the car and said to (Feder) ‘what’s the go?’

“(Feder) then sprayed the victim with the hose, at which point the victim got back in his vehicle.

“As the victim was getting back into the driver’s side of the car, (Feder) walked up to the front passenger side of the car where the witness was sitting.

“Upon approaching the front passenger side of the vehicle, (Feder) has raised her right arm, and in a forceful motion, struck the window with her arm and fist, making it completely smash off.”

Snr Const Rowe said during a later interview, Feder made full admissions to smashing the car window because she mistakenly believed the driver was trying to attack her.

The court heard that Feder had no criminal history and the prosecution sought restitution of $1410.

Solicitor Grant Cagney said Feder was a single mother of one, employed as a trade assistant and machine operator at a local machinery company.

“Obviously there is some background to this bad blood, Your Honour,” Mr Cagney said.

“The neighbour of my client (name) has previously stolen packages that have been left on my client’s front door while she’s at work.

“She actually confronted her (neighbour) about that and had the packages returned from her neighbour that were in her house - she’d already opened them and gone through them.

“So that’s where this bad blood, if I could put it that way, started.”

Mr Cagney said on the night of the offending in February, Feder was drinking “heavily.”

“She was mourning the death of her brother who had passed a number of years earlier, and she was heavily intoxicated.

“She heard the neighbours yelling out something, and she thought it was aimed at them, so she went over to confront them about it.

“That, and effectively lost control of her temper.”

Mr Cagney explained the March incident.

“She (Feder) did think that they were coming to do something to her as well, so she did get on the front foot and smash that window.”

Mr Cagney said Feder was also intoxicated during the second incident.

“So there’s a bit of a pattern here, in my respectful submission, from Ms Feder - that she may need to curb her alcohol consumption,” Mr Cagney said.

The solicitor explained that Feder had taken “some genuine steps” to address that issue.

Before handing down penalty, Magistrate Cameron Press said it would seem there were “some issues here” that Feder needed to attend to.

“And I’m talking there, not issues with the neighbours, but your personal issues,” Mr Press said.

“There clearly is alcohol involved on both occasions and clearly, you’ve also over-reacted quite substantially.

“You can’t go around smashing people’s vehicle windows.”

Mr Press placed Feder on probation for 12 months with conditions including a requirement to attend alcohol counselling, and ordered she pay $1410 restitution.

No convictions were recorded.