Sunderland woman told love rival 'you are going to die' after husband left her for former next-door neighbour

Mum-of-two Gemma Veitch, 39, issued the warning seconds after smashing windows at her adversary’s home.

Veitch, of Edison Court, Carley Hill, had “heightened emotions” after her spouse of over 20 years left her to move in with their former next-door neighbour.

She had even confided her marriage concerns to the woman – unaware she had already begun a secret relationship with her now ex-spouse.

The shock betrayal led Veitch to attack her foe’s property on the evening of Wednesday, August 3, and on the afternoon of Saturday, August 27.

Prosecutor Paul Clark said: “The background to this case is that sometime in 2021 the defendant and her husband Mark have been living next door to the victim.

“Mark had an affair with the victim and subsequently left the defendant. Following that, there were various threats.

“On August 3, the complainant was at her home address when she heard a car pull up outside, and the defendant was then at the front window.

“She was calling the complainant a ‘s**g’ and saying that she had ruined her daughter’s life.

“The victim was at an upstairs window when the defendant began throwing stones. She then picked up a large stone and threw it through her living room window.”

Mr Clark added: “On August 27, at about 3.30pm, the complainant was in her back garden and heard a car pull up.

“She could hear the defendant shouting and her partner Mark shouting back.

“She then heard the sound of glass smashing. She looked into her living room and saw the panes of glass had been smashed.

“There was a further sound of glass smashing and that was the panes in her front door going in.

“The defendant shouted, 'You are going to die’, and said she needed her to move out of Sunderland.”

In a statement, Veitch’s victim said: “I’m living my life scared of her. She is menacing. The situation is getting out of hand. I’m living in constant fear.”

Veitch, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment, causing damage to property at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

Paul McAlindon, defending, said: “She thought she had the perfect life – married, children, employment. Everything was going well.

“Out of the blue, her husband said that he was having problems with the relationship and needed time.

“The person who came to her aid was the complainant. Unknown to her, they had been having an affair for some time.

“The reason she went around to the complainant’s address was to find her husband, about the fact he wasn’t doing anything about the issues he had caused.

“It was directly in relation to the breakdown of their relationship. It was not her fault, it was due to her husband having an affair with her friend.”

District Judge Zoe Passfield fined Veitch £538, with a £215 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

She made Veitch subject to a six-month restraining order, not to contact her victim.