A former bride has recalled the shocking moment when she was drenched in black paint on her wedding day.
Gemma Monk was preparing to walk down the aisle on her big day back in May 2024, at Oakwood House Register Office in Maidstone, UK.
The happy couple had invited loved ones to see Gemma and her husband-to-be Ken Monk, officially tie the knot, but they were left with their jaws on the floor.
Antonia Eastwood, who is married to Gemma’s older brother, Ashley, covered the bride and her wedding dress in black paint before fleeing the venue in a move which Gemma is still perplexed by.
The bride, 35, managed to wipe her tears away, scrub her face and body in a cubicle, borrowed a dress and walked down the aisle to marry her partner of over 20 years.
Speaking to KentOnline, the mom-of-two said: “We had waited for that day for so long. Nothing was going to stop me. She was determined that the wedding was not going to happen.
“I did not think twice, I would have walked down the aisle in my knickers and with black paint over my face if I had to.”
Gemma’s sister-in-law was charged and sentenced
It was reported that Antonia, 49, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court for two offences of criminal damage.
The court was told that the bill for repairs and “loss of revenue” at the wedding venue, with the amount believed to have exceeded £5,000 ($6,780).
Both Antonia and her husband were not invited to the Monks’ nuptials, a year after the wedding, following a feud which raged on following the drama of their special day.
Gemma alleged that she was wrongly accused of “trying to trip up” her sister-in-law during her own wedding to her brother, back in September 2023.
Ever since that wedding in Dover, the relationship between Antonia and Gemma has nosedived, also putting a strain on the once close friendship between Ken and Ashley.
The Monks had their wedding ceremony just two hours after the paint attack, with the Victorian mansion venue later forced to close for repairs.
Gemma’s statement in court
Speaking in court, Gemma, a mental health care worker, admitted that she has been suffering from depression since the incident.
Explaining she has been unable to work since the attack, she said in court: “To have paint thrown over me by my brother’s wife changed my outlook on life and made me question whether I had done something really bad, whether I had done something wrong.
“This has had a dramatic impact on my life. Even while I was providing this statement at the police station, I got extremely emotional and started crying while talking about the incident.
“Since the incident, if it wasn’t for my children or my family, I don’t think I would even get out of bed to care for myself.
“I have lost all my dignity and good habits in life. I have lost who I used to be.
“This has turned the most special day of my life into the worst memory I will never forget, and neither will my family.”
Health scare and a cancelled honeymoon
The paint attack took place around the time Gemma had a cancer scare, where she lost a significant amount of weight.
She claimed her sister-in-law knew about the medical issue, but still decided to “ruin the most important day of my life and put me at risk.”
Gemma also said that she and Ken cancelled their dream honeymoon to the Maldives as she wasn’t feeling “up to it” anymore.
“I had a gut feeling, a bad feeling that something was wrong when I got out of the car with my dad,” she recalled.
“But he said it must be nerves.”
When she stepped into the hallway with her father, bridesmaids and flower girls, Gemma heard her name being called, and she saw someone throw black paint at her.
Speaking ot the court on Tuesday (April 15), prosecutor Pietro Matarazzo said: “Her wedding dress turned black. It was splattered with paint, as were her eyes, face, and skin.”
Gemma said she realised who it was and grabbed her by the hair, but Antonia got away.
Antonia Eastwood’s sentencing
Antonia would plead guilty to the offences, with the court hearing that professional cleaners were unable to remove the black stains.
The wedding for 50 included a reception at The Fields at Aylesford, costing a total of £8,000 ($10,845), in addition to Gemma’s dream dress which cost £1,800 ($2,440).
The defence claimed in court that Antonia had written her letter and highlighted “her wish to apologise” to her sister-in-law.
Judge Oliver Saxby KC said that while “emotions were high” and those involved would “never forget” the events, they should look to move on.
He would impose a 10-month jail term, suspended for 12 months, with 160 hours of unpaid work on Antonia.
“This was meant to be a special day for Gemma Monk and her family. Courtesy of your conduct, it turned into a nightmare,” he stated, reiterating how she had scarred the Monk family, labeling her as “nasty and mean”.
Antonia was also handed a 10-year restraining order and told to pay £5,000 ($6,780) compensation, which will be a total of £4,000 ($5,420) to her sister-in-law and £1,000 ($1,355) to Oakwood House, at a rate of £100 ($135) per month.
