Rotherham: Woman who hit husband with hammer awaits sentence

A woman to be sentenced for attacking her husband with a force hammer is in line for a £1.8million payout from her victim, a court heard.

Pamela Teasdale, 69, was charged with the attempted murder of Daniel Teasdale, 74, but admitted wounding with intent.

She was due to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday.

However, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC was forced to adjourn proceedings due to a series of legal issues.

The court heard the attack at Burne Farm in Todwick, near Rotherham, on August 21 left Mr Teasdale with significant injuries.

The offense of attempted wounding carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

However, the judge was unable to sentence Mrs Teasdale on Thursday because of legal complexities that arose after she was arrested in May for a separate offense of stalking her husband while she was on bail.

Her lawyer, Gordon Stables, explained that she had pleaded guilty to stalking at a previous hearing but, having now seen the full case against her, wanted to withdraw that plea and contest the charge.

This matter will be decided by Judge Richardson at a hearing on August 1 at Sheffield Crown Court.

Ms Teasdale was remanded in custody but Mr Stables said he would apply for her to be released on bail.

The court heard that the background to the offense involved a highly complex and acrimonious series of legal battles over the ownership of a cottage and the former couple’s divorce.

Prosecutor Laura Marshall told Judge Richardson that Mr Teasdale, who is supported by the couple’s children, was still struggling with the terms of the divorce settlement.

Ms Marshall said the current situation was that Mr Teasdale had been ordered to pay his wife £1.8million, with £800,000 already handed over.

The remaining £1m is outstanding because Mr Teasdale and his family have launched a series of challenges to the divorce decree, she said.

Last year it emerged the family racked up more than £1 million in legal costs in a legal battle over ownership of a £245,000 cottage.

This case went all the way to the Court of Appeal when, in his judgment, Mr Justice Moor said: “I have to say that this is one of the most regrettable cases I have ever come across.”

Judge Richardson questioned whether the family’s wealth would be “almost, if not completely extinguished” by the legal action.