Jandaz Puppy Farmer ‘six minutes of madness’
03 February 2010
SIX minutes of madness saw a 54-year-old Llandysul woman rip off her nightdress and expose herself after carrying out an unprovoked attack on neighbour Hemi Taylor
Her husband, meanwhile, crashed his tractor through a wooden gate on Mr Taylor’s property, destroyed traffic bollards and tore up the rugby star’s manicured lawn.
Janice Lesley Griffiths, of Ffynnon Gynnen in Cross Inn, wept before a crowded Cardigan court as stunned magistrates were told how she had “completely forgotten her dignity” during the 23 July attack on neighbour Mr Taylor.
Vaughan Pritchard Jones, prosecuting, told the court Mr Taylor, aged 46, received two abusive and threatening calls from Janice Griffiths around 7.30pm.
“During the calls, she said ‘we are going to kill you’ and ‘we are family’,” Mr Jones told the court.
As the telephone rang a third time at 7.45pm, Mr Taylor, heard a tractor approaching the home he shares with his pregnant wife and two-year-old child.
Outside, he saw 56-year-old Darrell Griffiths driving a tractor along the lane towards his home.
“What happened next can best be described as six or seven minutes of madness,” said Mr Jones.
Mr Taylor walked to a five-bar wooden gate at the entrance to his property where he was met by Janice Griffiths who tried to stop him opening it.
As Mr Taylor climbed the gate to see what Darrell Griffiths was doing, Janice Griffiths, a puppy breeder, began to punch and slap him.
Midway through the attack, Mr Taylor looked up to see Darrell Griffiths steering the tractor directly towards him at speed.
“He realised that Darrell Griffiths was not going to stop and got out of the way,” said Mr Jones.
“He went straight through the gate, smashing it to pieces.”
Mr Jones told the court that Griffiths continued speeding along the lane towards the house where Mrs Taylor was now standing with her young child.
“She was concerned he was going to hit the house, but he veered off and did a wide turn onto the lawn,” said Mr Jones.
Griffiths then got off the tractor and went to confront Mr Taylor, shouting: “I’m going to do you. I’m going to kill you. You have started a war. We are family.”
Janice Griffiths then picked up a piece of the broken gate and began hitting Mr Taylor with it.
When Mr Taylor complained that she had torn his shirt, Janice Griffiths tore off her nightdress top and began waving it in the air.
“She was standing there with her breasts exposed,” said Mr Jones. “She had completely forgotten her dignity.”
In interview, Darrell Griffiths told officers that he had been upset after burying his dead father earlier in the day.
“I feel that after my father’s funeral I had a mental breakdown,” he said.
Mr Jones told the court that the incident had been sparked when Mr Taylor had asked Griffiths to take down a sign he had erected directly in front of a sign for the Taylor house.
Defence solicitor Aled Owen said Janice and Darrell Griffiths were “deeply ashamed for what happened”.
“They were both at fault and they accept it, but they want to build bridges,” he said.
Janice Griffiths admitted common assault while Darrell Griffiths pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage. Janice Griffiths was fined £210 and ordered to pay £125 court costs and a further £15 legal surcharge.
Darrell Griffiths was fined £150 and ordered to pay £2,337.60 compensation. He was also ordered to pay £125 court costs and the £15 surcharge.
