A FACEBOOK row between two women culminated in violent visits to the home one of the pair.

Durham Crown Court heard that two days earlier Emma Louise Thompson was messaging the other woman asking if she was in a relationship with co-defendant Jordan Snowden.

David Lamb, prosecuting, said the Facebook ‘traffic’ and then text messaging became gradually more aggressive in tone.

But it was followed by a visit by Thompson, accompanied by Snowden and Gavin McAnaney, to the woman’s home in Murton, at 10pm on September 22, 2018.

Mr Lamb said they entered and made threats to the woman, who was with two friends.

Thompson approached the householder, grabbed her by the hair and insisting she join her outside, where she punched her.

Although Snowden and McAnaney were briefly driven away by an unknown fourth person, they soon returned.

Mr Lamb said a friend of the woman being attacked tried to intervene, to separate her from Thompson, but she was kicked to the side of the body and then twice to the head when she fell, by McAnaney.

It knocked her out and caused a complex fracture to an eye socket, into which three metal plates had to be inserted as part of a lengthy healing process, as she still suffers numbness.

Although the intruders left, several windows were put out, and Snowden and McAnaney returned hours later, masked, but still wearing the same clothing as on the previous visit.

Further threats were made, other windows were smashed and Snowden also threw a hammer which hit the householder on the upper arm.

Snowden and McAnaney were arrested days later and gave ‘no comment’ interviews to police.

Thompson, 27, of Azalea Street North, Sunderland, admitted affray at a hearing last month.

McAnaney, 23, and Snowden, 24, both of Dene Street, New Silksworth, Sunderland, each admitted two counts of affray on the day of their scheduled trial

But McAnaney also admitted unlawful wounding, while Snowden admitted possessing an offensive weapon.

The court was told Snowden was also to be sentenced for an unrelated kitchen knife attack on another man following a dispute at a house where they had previously been drinking amicably, in Red House, Sunderland, on February 9, last year.

Mr Lamb said the victim suffered a single stab wound to the left shoulder area and any further possible violence was prevented by the intervention of two females present at the time.

Snowden admitted wounding with intent and common assault, a push on one of the women.

Defence counsel Jamie Adams, for McAnaney, and Sarah Lindop, for Snowden, said neither had previously tasted a prison sentence or committed anything like as serious as these offences.

Both were said to suffer varying mental health issues, while Uzma Khan, for Thompson, said she was “in a bad place” at the time of the incident.

But she has overcome drink and drug issues, as well as finding work and a home of her own.

Recorder Keir Monteith QC said the incident at the woman’s home in Murton must have been “terrifying” for those present, while the knife attack could have led to more serious injuries.

He jailed Snowden for six-and-a-half years and passed a 25-month prison sentence on McAnaney, while Thompson was given a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

She must also attend 20 rehabilitation activity days.