The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Gran is jailed for revenge attack with a spanner
A GRAN has been jailed after taking the law into her own hands by attacking a woman with a spanner in a revenge attack for her daughter being left with lifechanging injuries.
Deborah Charlton’s anguish at the devastating consequences of a motorbike accident erupted into shocking violence. She turned up at the home of a woman associated with the man she blamed for leaving her daughter, who is in her 30s, with catastrophic brain and orthopaedic injuries which means she will need 24-hours-a-day care for the rest of her life.
Six weeks after she was injured, in footage filmed by accomplice Lyndsey Venus, Charlton angrily kicked at the woman’s door, shouted that she was the police before forcing her way in and setting about the terrified victim with a large metal spanner while yelling obscenities.
Now both women have been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court for aggravated burglary.
Passing sentence for the offence, which happened on October 10 2022, Judge Gavin Doig said: “The offence arose out of a tragic accident involving your daughter, Ms Charlton. You clearly blamed the person you think was riding or controlling the motorbike. The victim of this offence was someone involved with him.
“Rather than leaving well alone and letting the police investigate, rather than focusing on the needs of your daughter and grandchildren, you decided to take the law into your own hands, effectively.”
The court heard Charlton, 50, of The Haynying, Felling, Gateshead, had phoned the victim to check if she was in then went to her home with Venus, 43, of Broadway, Gateshead. Judge Doig said: “I’ve seen the footage. You tried the door, you were kicking it, Charlton. Venus, you were filming.
“You, Charlton, shouted you were the police. The victim came downstairs and opened her front door and was confronted by you.
“You forced your way in, Charlton, you used your foot to push the door open.
“You pursued the victim upstairs, you following, Venus, filming it. Upstairs there was a confrontation. Charlton, you could be heard shouting ‘you are a rat.’
“You clearly struck blows with a large metal spanner. She got free and you chased her. She was on the ground while you were attacking her.”
The judge added: “The prosecution say it was a form of revenge attack.” The court heard Venus later shared some of the footage of the attack with Charlton.
The victim was left with swelling and bruising to her face, arms and legs and cuts to her face. In a victim impact statement, she said: “I wish to say this has caused me to suffer severe anxiety and panic attacks.
“I’ve been unable to leave the house because I’m worried about my safety and I’m constantly worried about them coming back, entering my property and assaulting me. It will take a long time to recover from my physical injuries.”
Charlton and Venus, who have limited and unrelated previous convictions from years ago, admitted aggravated burglary. Charlton was jailed for three-and-a-half years and Venus got two years and 10 months. They were both also given indefinite restraining orders.
The judge said he accepted the behaviour of both was out of character and an “aberration” that is unlikely to be repeated.
But he said he also had to take into account the seriousness of the offence and the trauma caused to the victim and had to send out a message such behaviour will not be tolerated.
Charlton has a “mental disorder” and the court was given references about her ordinarily good character and information about the positive role she has played in the care of her daughter and her grandchildren.
Venus pleaded guilty on the basis she didn’t use violence herself and she tried to calm down Charlton during the attack, unsuccessfully. The court heard she is the primary for her young daughter and is battling a drink problem.