The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Furious Fife man took hammer to luxury Mercedes Benz.
COURT: Kenneth Morris caused more than £6,000 worth of damage after believing he was set up for a meeting
An angry Glenrothes man caused more than £6,000 worth of damage to a deluxe sports car belonging to his father’s new girlfriend after smashing it up with a hammer.
Kenneth Morris, 23, of Culdees Avenue, spotted the £30,000 Mercedes GLA 200 Sport Executive parked outside Poplar Building and Drainage Supplies on Newark Road North on May 2.
The vehicle belonged to Monika Markowska and he became angry, believing his father was trying to force the pair to meet for the first time.
In a fit of rage, Morris grabbed a hammer and began attacking the vehicle, smashing the windows, headlights and wing mirrors.
The apprentice appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Monday after previously admitting wilfully or recklessly damaging property.
The cost of repairing the damage amounted to £5,807 with an additional £772 spent on transport costs as a result of Miss Markowska being unable to drive the vehicle.
Defence solicitor Deborah Ginniver said her client was in Edinburgh for an MOT and planned to travel back to Fife with his father.
She added: “Mr Morris’ father advised that his new partner would be in the vehicle. This upset Mr Morris and he refused to go with him and made his own way home.
“On the way home he went past his father’s partner’s car and became angry, believing his father was orchestrating a meeting between him and his new partner.”
The court heard Morris told social workers preparing background reports he would rather go to prison than pay his victim compensation for the damage.
Addressing Miss Ginniver, Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist asked: “Your client may have felt angry but he has caused damage amounting to £6,500 so what is he going to do about that?
“He has said that he is not prepared to pay any compensation.”
Miss Ginniver said her client denied ever saying this and he would be willing to pay back the £500 Miss Markowska had paid out in excess through her insurance.
Mr Gilchrist said: “It is difficult to take what has been said in your defence seriously as it contradicts almost entirely what was said to the social worker who prepared the background report.”
He ordered Morris to perform 200 hours of unpaid work within six months and told him to engage with anger management classes.
A compensation order was also granted for £500 to be paid back at a rate of £10 a week.
Morris also admitted a second charge of stealing a quantity of tickets and alcohol on the same date.
Your client may have felt angry but he has caused £6,500 worth of damage so what is he going to do about that? SHERIFF JAMIE GILCHRIST