Cardiff mother suffered a broken arm after her neighbour battered her with a baseball bat

A baseball bat-wielding neighbour was caught on camera screaming abuse at a four-year-old girl, before battering the child’s mother moments later in a vicious row over a lover.  

Victim Dominique Thomas has told of her horror after she was targeted by Jessica Verallo, 29, who she had politely warned to stay away from her boyfriend.

Ms Thomas, of St Fagans, Cardiff, had been enjoying family time in the garden with daughter Ruby, when she suddenly heard her raging neighbour call the youngster an ‘ugly ginger c***’.

Just moments later, Verallo came hurtling towards Ms Thomas with the weapon and broke her arm. 

The 28-year-old, of St Fagans, Cardiff, said: ‘She had something in her hand that she was swinging back and forth.

‘I realised it was a metal baseball bat and the look of evil on her face as she stormed towards me was terrifying.’ 

The brutal attack was launched in front of horrified children in the street as Ms Thomas pleaded: ‘Stop it, please. There are kids here.’ 

Jessica Verallo, 29, (pictured left) battered her neighbour Dominique Thomas, 28, (pictured right) with a baseball bat in an attack caught on a doorbell camera

Ms Verallo (pictured) was jailed for five years and given a ten-year restraining order at the court in June

The row, described as a ‘ticking timebomb’ then erupted further moments later as Ms Verallo advanced on Ms Thomas with a baseball bat, breaking her arm

The frenzied attack was caught on a neighbour’s doorbell camera which was later seized by police.

Ms Thomas said: ‘All I could do was watch helplessly as she began swinging the baseball bat at me.

‘I stumbled backwards and fell into a bush. As Jessica came at me with a full swing of the bat I managed to raise my arm to stop her hitting my head.

‘I felt a bone snap in my arm. It was agony. Then bright red blood oozed out and spurted everywhere.

‘I was taken to hospital and had to undergo three hours of surgery. The doctors had to put six screws and a metal plate in my arm.’

Ms Thomas said in the days leading up to the attack she had learned Verallo had made a pass at her partner Connor Knapton.

She said: ‘Obviously, I hadn’t been happy at all but I didn’t want some big scene. I’d texted Jessica a message and politely asked her to stay away from him.’

The victim added that Verallo denied this – but days later started ‘screaming’ at her.

Verallo was arrested following the attack and later found guilty of GBH with intent, and possessing an offensive weapon after a four-day trial.

The court heard the ‘sickening blow echoed around’ their housing complex.

Verallo was jailed for five years and given a ten-year restraining order at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in June.

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths said the doorbell video was recovered by police to arrest ‘ticking timebomb’ Verallo.

Police later seized the footage of the assault, which was caught on a neighbour’s doorbell camera. Pictured: Ms Thomas’s arm after the attack

In the days leading up to the attack, Ms Thomas (pictured right) had discovered that Ms Verallo had chatted up her boyfriend Connor Knapton (pictured left)

Following the attack, Ms Verallo (pictured) was arrested and after a four-day trial was found guilty of GBH with intent and possessing an offensive weapon

Ms Thomas says she now lives in fear and struggles to sleep following the horrific attack.

She said: ‘I am still living in the flat where the attack happened but I am hoping to move. I really don’t want to live here anymore.

‘I still have dreams and horrible flashbacks of that day. I don’t think until the day I die I can forget it.

‘I am glad I’ve had some justice and Jessica Verallo is in jail and can’t hurt anyone else.’