Man’s $15,000 doorknock

A MAN who damaged a door and window valued at more than $15,500 will be paying for his drunken mistake for the next four years.

After-work drinks with a few colleagues led late into the early hours of the next day when about 7am on July 8 this year, Adam Drew Price thought he’d been locked out of a friend’s house.

A neighbour saw Price, 31, in the yard appearing to break into the home and called police.

Price had damaged the door and window edging with a garden ornament and “appeared intoxicated” when police arrived, prosecutor Julia Wheaton told Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

She described the door and window as “one off” and very expensive items, and sought $300 be repaid to the home owner to cover the excess on the insured value of the door and window which totalled $15,574.

Solicitor Shane MacDonald said his client had a few after-work drinks which led into the night and ended with Price drinking Absinthe, a strong liqueur.

While his client couldn’t recall the night in full, he did remember being away from the house at one point and tried knocking on the door to get back in, and getting upset when they wouldn’t open the door, Mr MacDonald said.

He said it might be the most expensive door but was “quite brittle”.

He submitted Price was remorseful for his actions and was not a binge drinker, and had no recent criminal history.

Price pleaded guilty to wilful damage and trespass.

Taking into consideration the financial cost of Price’s actions, Magistrate Damian Carroll released him on a 12-month, $2000 good behaviour bond.

He ordered Price repay the $15,574 to the insurance company within four years and $300 to the home owner within two months.