Spurned yob smashed up terrified ex’s car

Vehicle written off after thug lashed out with metal pole

A violent yob who smashed-up his terrified ex-girlfriend’s motor with a metal pole has been slated by a sheriff.

Raging Richard Cooley, 27, “lost the plot” and wrecked Tricia Erroch’s Hyundai 1.6 Coupe in an orgy of destruction last February.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard Cooley caused so much damage to the vehicle worth £3,400, that insurers were forced to write the motor off, rather than repair it.

Fiscal depute Frank Clarke told the court that car valet Cooley had been in a relationship with mum- of-two Miss Erroch for three years when they split last December.

The accused, of Campbell Street, Renfrew, had been texting her repeatedly, but she was not up for answering him or seeing him anymore, when he took things to the extreme.

He stormed round to her home at Findhorn, Erskine, and confronted her as she was parking her car.

Mr Clarke said: “Miss Erroch had taken her daughter to nursery and at 8.05am parked up at her home address when she phoned her son who was indoors with his grandmother.

“While speaking to her son she became aware of a van parked directly behind her vehicle. It took the position of blocking her in.

“She became aware of the accused leaving the van.

“He approached her while she was still sitting in the car on the phone to her son. She told her son to wake his grandmother for her to contact police.”

The court heard the accused brandished a metal pole and said: “I am going to smash the car up.”

The terrified motorist got out her car and stood to the rear as he began smashing up the motor with the pole, before she fled indoors.

Yesterday Cooley pleaded guilty to charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner like to cause fear and alarm, acting aggressively, uttering threats, and repeatedly striking her motor vehicle on February 1, 2016.

Defence agent Scott Banks said: “He simply lost the plot. She did not want to speak to him. She simply wouldn’t speak to him and he drove round with a view to talking to her.

“In effect when he got there, she didn’t want to speak to him, he smashed up the car.

“He was seen doing it by witnesses. He admits that.

“He even texted his father saying, ‘Just smashed Tricia’s car up’.”

The lawyer urged the court to consider his plea of guilty at the earliest opportunity, and that he would be willing to pay a fine.

Sheriff Craig Harris tore a strip off Cooley and said he came very close to throwing him in jail.

He said: “This is quite disgraceful behaviour. An absolutely terrifying experience for Miss Erroch.

“The court would be entitled to send you to custody.

“However, I will deal with by way of Community Payback Order lasting 18 months, comprising supervision, 90 hours unpaid work, and you will pay Miss Erroch £1,050 in compensation.”

The sheriff also granted a request from Fiscal depute Mr Clarke and placed Cooley on a Non-Harassment Order lasting 10 years, preventing him from contacting or approaching the victim.