Ram raid on the mobility scooter

A woman smashed through the doors her local council offices in her mobility scooter when staff refused to answer her phone calls, a court heard.

Frustrated Albanian Nurjie Sela, 59, allegedly staged her own ram-raid by repeatedly reversing into the locked front doors of Hammersmith and Fulham council offices.

She squirted oil over the floor, walls computers and desks and sped off on the scooter before the police arrived, Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court heard.

Sela roared off to the offices of Farrell, Matthews and Weir in Hammersmith Broadway and careered into the building before again squirting oil from a plastic bottle.

She caused £3,000 of damage at the council office and another £200 of damage at the solicitors.

Prosecutor Aimee Emby said: ‘On the 23rd September at around 6pm the defendant attended the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham council office.

‘The allegation is at she used her mobility scooter to reverse repeatedly into the front doors causing them to fall inwards.

‘She then squirted liquid over the walls, floor, computers and desks.’

After briefly leaving she returned to continue her assault on the building, the court heard.

Security staff tried to calm her down but she zoomed off, Ms Emby told the court.

‘At 6:15pm she went to Farrell, Matthews and Weir solicitors on Hammersmith Broadway,’ said Ms Emby.

‘Again she used the bottle of liquid to squirt on the stairs, floor and walls.’

‘The liquid is said to be cooking oil.’

Sela, who followed proceedings with the help of an Albanian interpreter, admits to going to both locations but denies criminal damage.

She said she acted after the council and the solicitors did not respond to her phone calls or when she tried to talk to them directly.

‘I did it because they did not answer,’ she said.

The court heard that her daughter had been taken away from her by social services three years ago.

Sela, of 25 Oaklands Court, Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, denies two charges of criminal damage.

Chair of the magistrates bench Tim MacAndrews released her on bail to next appear at City of London Magistrates’ Court for trial on January 11 next year.

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