As many as 26 windscreens were damaged in Canterbury Street, Gillingham

A woman who smashed 26 car windscreens with a hammer did so because she had not taken her medication, a court heard.

Janet Keep, 52, went on a rampage in Canterbury Street, Gillingham, after failing to get a weekly injection that helps her cope with her mental health issues.

Keep, who was living in Canterbury Street with one of her daughters at the time, went out in the early hours of Sunday, February 10, and smashed 26 car windscreens causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Keep was arrested soon afterwards and was later charged with criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon.

She appeared before magistrates in Medway where she admitted the criminal damage charge and had 25 similar offences taken into consideration by the bench.

The possession of an offensive weapon charged was dropped during the hearing.

The court heard how police were called to the road by a passing motorist when he had to swerve to avoid Keep, as he spotted her walking up the middle of the road with the claw hammer.

Canterbury Street, Gillingham

Louise Barron, prosecuting, said: "The motorist's attention was drawn to someone wearing a jacket with a hood up, he had to swerve to avoid her.

"He could see the person was holding a claw hammer and he saw her hitting a widscreen, so he called the police.

"She hit every car she walked past so he flashed his lights at her, but she continued what she was doing.

"When the police arrived they discovered a large number of vehicles had been damaged."

Magistrates also heard how during interview Keep - who has now moved to Eric Road, in Dover, to live with another daughter - initially would only shake or nod her head when she was asked about the incident.

Later she told officers she was not able to cope with life and had heard voices in her head so picked up the hammer and damaged the cars.

In total, £2,985 of damage was caused by Keep during her rampage.

Sacha Alexander, defending, said her client had a personality disorder and had not got her weekly injection that helps her stabilise her condition.

Magistrates decided to give Keep a 90-day suspended sentence for two years and placed her under curfew for three months.

Keep was also ordered to pay £2,985 in compensation, which will be divided among each car owner who had to replace their windscreen.

Magistrate Pam Moss, chairman of the bench, said: "Miss Keep, this is a very serious offences when you look at it as a whole.

"It does pass the custody threshold but because of you early guilty plea you will not be going to prison today."