A bride was doused with black paint by her sister-in-law just before walking down the aisle at her wedding in Maidstone, Kent, in May 2024. The incident left Gemma Monk, 35, with paint splattered across her face and an £1,800 dress ruined. Despite the attack, she managed to clean herself up, change into a replacement dress, and proceed with the ceremony two hours later, receiving applause from guests for her composure.

The attacker, 49-year-old Antonia Eastwood, wife of Gemma’s older brother Ashley, fled the Oakwood House Register Office after the assault. Eastwood was later convicted of two counts of criminal damage at Maidstone Crown Court. She received a 10-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months, 160 hours of unpaid work, a 10-year restraining order, and was ordered to pay £5,000 in compensation—£4,000 to Gemma Monk and £1,000 to the venue.

The court heard that damages and lost revenue for the venue were estimated at over £5,000. During sentencing, the judge described the attack as a deliberate act intended to ruin what should have been a special day for the bride and her family.

Gemma, a mental health care worker from Herne Bay, had not invited Ashley or Eastwood to the wedding because of an ongoing family feud. She claimed Eastwood had falsely accused her of attempting to trip her during Eastwood’s wedding the previous year, leading to a continued deterioration in relations between the two couples. Ashley has since disowned his sister, saying, “There’s more to it,” but acknowledged that Eastwood “has been punished now.”

Recalling the wedding day, Gemma described hearing her name called before being struck with paint. Although initially left in tears, she quickly collected herself and insisted, “Nothing was going to stop me. I would have walked down the aisle in my knickers with black paint over my face if I had to.” She and her partner, Ken, with whom she has been together for over 20 years, had planned the ceremony for 50 guests, followed by an £8,000 reception.

Gemma reported suffering from depression and said the ordeal turned what should have been the happiest day of her life into a traumatic experience. The incident also affected their plans to honeymoon in the Maldives, which they canceled. Eastwood submitted a written apology to the court but did not provide an explanation for her actions. Her defense counsel mentioned that Eastwood had experienced depression and that the case had taken a toll on her mental health.

Guests and those familiar with the incident described the attack as motivated by spite, highlighting the strained family dynamics. Despite the challenges, Gemma and Ken have expressed intentions to renew their vows in an effort to create a more positive memory of their wedding day.