Ian & Emma Hunt Leaving Court |
Emma Hunt, 62, of Leaside Avenue, Muswell Hill even deliberately placed a screw in front of the tyre, causing it to deflate, when ‘other woman’ Ngai Mann drove off.
She pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates Court yesterday to stalking Ms Mann between March 30 and October 16 and causing damage to her white Toyota Yaris.
The mother-of-two was placed on a twelve-month community order and must complete 100 hours community service and pay £1,000 compensation.
Ms Mann became pregnant during the affair with husband Ian in Hong Kong and the Hunt’s say they gave her a £250,000 pay-off to settle all financial claims.
The couple also claim Ms Mann tricked the husband into giving her £7,500 for medical treatment after fabricating a terminal illness and fraudulently using a credit card in Mr. Hunt’s name to buy £30,000 worth of gold in Hong Kong.
Police CCTV proved Mrs Hunt was driving in the area when the vandalism occurred outside Ms Mann’s £850,000 Wimbledon home in Florence Road, which she shares with her toddler daughter.
Prosecutor Miss Damilola Eniola told the court: “The complainant and defendant are known to each other.
“She had an extra-marital affair with the defendant’s husband in Hong Kong and four years ago she gave birth to their child.”
Ngai Mann Was Stalked |
Last Spring Ms Mann received a letter at the address. “This caused her distress and was written as if Mr. hunt had written it.
“She also received a hand-delivered letter from Mrs Hunt.”
The wife accepts she is the author of the second letter, but maintains the first was genuinely written by her husband and is not a forged by her.
A few weeks later the damage began. “The complainant found long scratches from the back to the front of her Toyota Yaris in June.
“In July she saw a scratch running from back to front and reported it to the police, feeling she had been targeted.”
There was a more serious incident in September. “The complainant, while driving her car in Wimbledon, heard a loud noise from the front and found her left tyre had been deflated by a large screw.”
Hunt pleaded guilty on the basis she visited the address on four occasions, but the prosecution say it was at least seven.
When arrested she told the police she was interested in how Ms Mann as able to recently pay cash for the house. “She visited because she wanted to know if the complainant was in full-time employment,” added Ms Eniola.
When police asked her about causing damage she replied: “No comment.”
The court heard the Hunt’s remortgaged their home to finance the quarter of a million pay-off to Ms Mann and the husband did not pursue the gold ‘fraud’ for the sake of the baby.
The couple have reported Ms Mann to the police here, suspecting her house purchase was with the proceeds of fraud.
Mrs Hunt said via her lawyer her visits were motivated by curiosity as to how Ms Mann was financing her lifestyle.
Her husband is still making payments to Ms Mann via the Child Support Agency and is a witness in a Home Office investigation.
“This is a serious matter, sustained over a period of time and damage has been admitted,” said magistrate Mr. David Mulholland.
“This was a series of offences that took place over six months, a sustained set of offences, many of which you have agreed to,” he told retired Hunt, who receives a private pension.
The court heard she enjoys an “active retirement” spending time with her one grandchild and still lives with her husband.
The court also made her subject to a restraining order, prohibiting her contacting Ms Mann and visiting Florence Road.
She must also pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.