Car vandal sentenced to 140 days in prison

Drunken lout was found smashing up OAPs’ cars

A yob who suffered a marital “meltdown” was snared after smashing up pensioners’ motors, a court heard.

Out-of-control James Melville, 52, was high on a cocktail of drugs and booze when he was caught vandalising cars late at night by cops.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard that Melville, who was recently spared jail for attacking his former wife Angela amid claims she was having an affair, had flipped out and gone on a wrecking spree.

Melville formerly of Britannia Way, Renfrew, but now of John Lang Street, Johnstone, pleaded guilty to a charge of maliciously damaging the vehicles which were parked up at Broompark Drive, Inchinnan on October 26.

Depute fiscal Margaret McCallum said that neither of the complainers, pensioners aged 80 and 68, were known to the accused when he targeted their vehicles.

However, he had smashed the windscreen of one car and damaged the wing mirrors of another, costing hundreds of pounds in damage.

The yob was recently handed a Community Payback Order (CPO) after beating up his former partner and smashing up their home with a baseball bat, when he discovered “intimate” pictures and texts.

Defence agent Nadine Dormer said: “There had been a 20-year relationship which ended at the start of the year. “The marriage disolved. “He lost his job, lost his house, lost his family, and he has struggled with his mental health from that time.

“Witnesses describe him acting strangely in the days prior to the event.

“Only two days before he changed his medication.

“His new partner advises he couldn’t sleep and decided to take seven sleeping tablets along with alcohol, rather than stay at home.

“This caused him to act in an extraordinarily unusual manner and he went out and vandalised cars.

“This was him crying out for help. They found him out in the street after taking medication and drink, damaging cars.”

Sheriff Tom McCartney took a dim view of Melville’s conduct, especially over the age of those affected.

He said: “I take a different view from the submission that has been made.

“You were placed on a Community Payback Order and you were subject to four bail orders and you are still offending.

“I have no alternative but to impose a term of imprisonment.”

He handed Melville 140 days behind bars.