Maria Rose Carney pleads guilty to damaging property after striking neighbours‘ cars with hammer
A North Coast woman told police “I have my reasons” after taking to a string of cars with a hammer amid a neighbourhood dispute. Here’s what happened in court.
Police & Courts
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A Ballina woman used a club hammer to smash three of her neighbours’ car windows after punching one of her neighbours in the head in the street during a drawn-out dispute.
West Ballina’s Maria Rose Carney, 57, pleaded guilty at Ballina Local Court on Thursday to damaging property on August 9.
It came after Carney was sentenced in the court in March for assault causing actual bodily harm after striking the woman and sending her tumbling to the ground on January 25.
Magistrate Kathy Crittenden placed Carney on a 12-month community correction order.
The latest offending involved Carney walking into a lane with a “lump hammer”, also known as a club hammer, and striking the windshield of a Mazda 3 and Toyota Camry about 5.30pm.
Police state in court documents a witness “heard loud noises and screaming and saw Cameron (had) struck the back window of a Nissan Maxima, completely smashing it with the hammer before walking back into her house”.
The witness told those who owned the vehicles and they made a report at Ballina Police Station.
Police visited Carney’s house and she admitted damaging the cars with a hammer.
Carney was asked why and she said: “I have my reasons.”
Police confiscated the hammer and provided Carney with a court attendance notice.
Defence lawyer Sally McPherson told the court Carney previously had issues with her neighbours.
She suggested a supervised community correction order as a suitable penalty.
Magistrate Kathy Crittenden said Carney has a limited criminal history.
She ordered her to fork out $1262 in compensation for the damage.
Carney was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community correction order and ordered to attend rehabilitation.
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