Yahoo News A woman downed a litre of vodka - then the chaos started
A woman left children in tears when she appeared at the doorstep of their home armed with a pair of scissors. Samantha Hurley also launched an attack on a shopkeeper and hurled abuse at a stranger, calling him a "c***" after he declined to give her money for a taxi.
After downing an entire litre of vodka, she punched both men before going on to assault two police officers upon her arrest. Her crime spree escalated when she threatened to stab another woman, having been discovered lurking in her garden with a piece of glass.
Liverpool Crown Court was told yesterday, Thursday, about Hurley's "spree of offending" which took place on January 5 this year. It began when she turned up at the residence of Kelly Preston on Holywell Close in St Helens, following a message received by the mum just before 5pm that afternoon, warning her that Hurley, 38, from Carnegie Crescent in the town, was on the way to her house.
Prosecutor Iain Criddle detailed how the concerned victim secured her doors as she was at home with her two young children, aged seven and 11, and was "worried because she was aware of the defendant's reputation". Hurley then reached the property, hammering on the front door and windows with a pair of scissors before moving to the back of the house in an attempt to enter through the rear.
She then proceeded to stand on the bonnet of a car outside and damaged hanging baskets at the address before departing. The court was shown mobile phone footage of part of the incident, with children's cries audible in the background as the horrifying scene played out, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Hurley then moved on to the nearby Cost Savers store on Ridgewood Drive. Here, employee Sembukutti De Silva refused to sell her two bottles of wine due to her apparent intoxication. In response, she threw the alcohol to the floor, resulting in the bottles shattering.
CCTV footage showed a customer carrying a small child moving out of her way as she made her way around the counter, where she then attempted to strike the employee. Following this, Hurley left and encountered John Kerfoot outside his home on Gerards Lane as he returned from work.
She requested money for a taxi from the mental health nurse but became hostile when he declined - hurling insults at him, punching him in the face and spitting towards him. The stranger then went on to destroy plant pots outside his property, causing £150 worth of damage.
Upon being arrested, Hurley scratched one police officer's hand and spat at another, claiming she had Covid. She was subsequently released under investigation. However, she later visited the home of a woman unknown to her - Sharon Boulton - shortly after 8am on April 14.
The resident was alerted to an intruder by her Ring doorbell camera, which captured Hurley making her way down the side of the house. This prompted Ms Boulton to confront the trespasser, asking, "what are you doing in the garden? " To which the uninvited guest retorted, "What's it got to do with you? I'll just f***ing stab you. F*** off."
It was reported that Hurley appeared to be intoxicated once more. When she was detained again nearby, a shard of glass was discovered in her pocket.
Hurley's criminal history reveals 16 previous convictions for 34 offences, including a six-year sentence for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent in 2012 and another four-year term for the same crime in 2015. In court, Desmond Lennon, defending, said: "She now sits before the court thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed of her behaviour."
He added: "She is particularly regretful over the fact that there were young children in the property. It is quite clear from the recording that the children were very distressed.
"The behaviour on each occasion appears to be an angry reaction to what she perceived to be insulting comments about aspects of her character while significantly under the influence of drink. Having drunk a litre of vodka and taken some medication, she went round to Kelly Preston's house and behaved as badly as she did.
"When she went into Cost Savers, the gentleman behind the counter very responsibly refused to serve her alcohol and she petulantly threw the bottles of alcohol to the floor. It is quite clear that what has caused her to behave in this way is her addiction to alcohol and controlled drugs.
"She has a very unhappy background. There are personal matters which will inevitably have impacted on her behaviour. She has really struggled to come to terms with those personal issues.
"She is making good progress at HMP Styal. If she is capable of continuing her progress, this sentence will not be a burden for her. It will be an opportunity for her to continue her progress."
Hurley admitted three counts of assault, two charges of assaulting an emergency services worker, using threatening behaviour, two offences of possession of a bladed article in a public place, and three criminal damage matters. Appearing in the dock wearing a beige cable knit jumper and sporting long dark hair, she was jailed for 12 months and handed a five-year restraining order.
Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC said: "This has been described by the prosecution as a spree of offences, and that description is necessary. You have significant aggravating previous convictions."
"You have a long standing addiction to alcohol and controlled drugs, which you are now addressing. It will be a lifelong requirement for you to keep out of trouble and save your mental and physical health to remain off alcohol and drugs."
