A WOMAN who was seriously injured in a road crash when her partner was killed has admitted a charge of racially aggravated criminal damage.

Kim Martin smashed windows of a housing association property on Deeside and referred in derogatory terms to a neighbour, a member of the travelling community.

Martin, of Sealand Avenue in Garden City but who has now returned to live with her mother in North Street, Caerwys, appeared from custody at North East Wales Magistrates Court at Mold.

She received a 90 day prison sentence, suspended for 12 months with £800 compensation to the Clwyd Alyn Housing Association and £85 prosecution costs and a £115 surcharge.

District judge Gwyn Jones said immediate custody was justified because she had deliberately damaged a property where a former neighbour had lived and it was motivated as a result that neighbour’s background.

It was racially aggravated because of the way she had referred to the neighbour.

Rhian Jones, prosecuting, said police received a report of windows being damaged on July 28 at Sealand Court but because of other ongoing matters officers could not attend.

Man rang the police and demanded to know why police had not attended and then said she would sort matters out herself.

A woman was later seen with a metal bar smashing windows at Sealand Avenue which had previously been tenanted by a member of the travelling community.

A bar matching the description was recovered from Martin’s flat and she admitted causing the damage.

Gary Harvey, defending, said his client been through a tragic few years and was now living back at her mother’s home.

She and her partner had been walking near Caerwys previously when they were hit from behind by a vehicle, killing her partner outright.

Martin was also injured and she had not been the same since, said Mr Harvey.

She had received counselling including bereavement counselling but she did behave erratically at times and the damage was an example of that behaviour.

Martin, said Mr Harvey, had made a complaint against a neighbour which was being investigated.

Her windows had been damaged and then she damaged a neighbour’s windows as result of the feud, he said.

She accepted she had over-reacted.

Martin she did not think her use of a word was a racial or derogatory term but there was case law on it and it was, said Mr Harvey.

Last summer Mold Crown Court heard how Ryan Draper died and his partner Kim Martin was critically injured when they were struck by Emyr Jones' van on the B5122 in Caerwys.

The father-of-four who was twice the drink-drive limit when his van careered out of control and struck the couple walking hand in hand was jailed.

Pedestrian Mr Draper, 27, died and Miss Martin suffered critical life-changing injuries in the impact, which hurled them into a field.

A badly injured Miss Martin was taken to hospital with pelvic, leg, wrist and other injuries.

Judge Niclas Parry, sitting at Mold Crown Court, imposed a six year sentence for causing Mr Draper’s death by dangerous driving and a concurrent three year sentence for causing Miss Martin serious injuries by dangerous driving.

Jones, of Ruthin Road in Denbigh, was disqualified from driving for nine years. He admitted both charges.