Man caught white-handed after hurling paint at neighbour’s car

A man who hurled paint at his neighbour’s car was caught because he left a trail directly to his front door.

Colin Swan was caught white-handed when the police followed the spilled paint to his home and found him covered in the paint.

Swan, 42, still had paint splattered across his clothes yesterday when he appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court.

He admitted wilfully damaging a car by throwing paint over it close to his home in Union Place, Perth, on June 25.

Swan also admitted spitting at a police officer and hurling homophobic abuse.

Depute fiscal John Richardson told the court the car’s owner saw Swan in the street, drunk, hours before the attack.

He later saw him with a bottle containing a “white, paint-type substance”.

“He opened it, turned towards the car, and threw the paint on the vehicle. Police found the vehicle with paint damage.

“There was a paint trail, which in classic form, leads to the door of the accused’s property. Officers knocked and the accused answered. He is observed to have white paint on his hands and is immediately hostile and obstructive.”

Back-up was summoned and, despite there being four officers, Swan said: “I will fight you all.”

As they were struggling, Swan spat at an officer.

Solicitor Annika Jethwa, defending, said: “I had wondered if it was a neighbourhood dispute which had led to him putting paint on the car but he has no difficulty with the complainer.”

She said Swan had been looking after his 80-year-old mother during lockdown but had gone back to his own home and started drinking whisky.

She said it had a “profound effect on him”.

“He has no recollection of throwing paint on the car. He had had the paint since January because he had been redecorating. He is very sorry.”

Sentence was deferred.