Party girl: our house was raped
Jul 10 2007 by Chris Robinson, The Journal
A TEENAGER who held a party which trashed her parents’ home broke her silence last night over the Easter wrecking spree.
Rachael Bell saw more than 200 revellers descend on her home after the address was posted on internet site MySpace in April.
They caused an estimated £20,000 damage to the plush four-bedroom home in Chipchase Court, Woodstone Village, near Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland.
Rachael, 17, told a TV documentary: “I just felt a bit sick. Was there a need to do all this stuff – to trash my house?
“It was raped; it just wasn’t our house any more. I felt so ashamed.”
The A-level student had planned a party for 40 friends, but soon more and more people arrived.
Her parents Elaine and Alan, both 48, were away with their younger children at their caravan in Whitburn, South Tyneside.
“It was running smoothly, everyone just slowly arrived,” Rachael said. “At about 10.15pm about 40 people came though my door. I just thought ‘Oh my God’, it was like a massive train of people.
“I knew a few of them but I just thought, ‘they brought so many people’, and ‘how did you all find out about my party?’ Every room in the house was absolutely chockablock, the stairs were packed.
“There were about 200 people in the house and there were lots on the premises outside. People were just climbing through the window and I think at that stage the window broke.”
The event was advertised online as a “Skins” party after the controversial Channel 4 TV show which features a house party being trashed in its first episode.
It is thought some teenagers traveled from as far away as London and poured out of taxis until police were called. Elaine, a primary school teacher, returned home the next day after neighbours broke the news.
Yobs had urinated in her wardrobes, ripped light fittings from ceilings and carved obscenities in the walls.
They had to move into a hotel while their home was repaired. Rachael fled to stay with a friend but was arrested for criminal damage and freed on bail.
She has since received a police reprimanded for a separate unspecified offence.
“I was stupid to have a party behind my mam’s back, then again lots of teenagers do, it’s normal,” Rachael added. “I feel really guilty, especially towards my brothers and sister, they have done nothing.
“Yes I was selfish, but then again lots of teenagers have parties, I’m not doing anything different myself.
“But what I did was wrong.”
