Woman scratched ex’s car with knife

Angela Mary Dodd, 57, of Shortbridge Street, Llanidloes, took a kitchen knife from her home and scratched the side of a Peugeot belonging to Anthony Price, on December 29, in Llanidloes.

Welshpool Magistrates Court also heard she said she wanted to kill Mr Price, before police found the kitchen knife a short distance away.

Dodd admitted criminal damage and possessing a knife in a public place at the magistrates court on Tuesday. She was made subject to a two-year community order.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, told the court that on December 29 officers were called at 9.30pm.

When officers arrived, she was arrested and a brown-handled kitchen knife was seized.

Ms Tench said that in a police the car belonged to Mr Price, her ex-partner, and she told officers he wouldn’t leave her alone.

Officers visited his house, and found a green-handled knife on the pathway leading to his home. Mr Price said the knife was not his.

In interview, Dodd had revealed the pair had been on and off for some time, and Mr Price had been calling her names and laughing at her.

The pair had been exchanging texts, and he asked her to go to his home, Ms Tench told the court.

Dodd said she did not want to see him anymore but she went to his house and admitted she was drunk at the time.

The court heard Dodd had seen the defendant laughing at her, so she took a knife to the side of his car, causing scratches, and admitted saying she wanted to kill him.

However, in her police interview, she said they were just words, and she never intended to do anything.

Owain Jones, for Dodd, said the knife was not used in a threatening manner, and it was his client who had in fact called the police.

He said his client was under the influence of alcohol but did not have a drink problem, and she was remorseful for her actions.

Bench chairman Stephen Pembroke said: “We have taken into account your early guilty plea, but the full situation is very serious because you took the knives out of your house.”

Dodd was given a two-year community order, which included 120 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £456 in compensation for the damage, £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.