Mans drunken prank backfires as blood at scene catches him out
Haydon George Lucas had got used to comparatively gentle sentencing in the youth court, Newbury magistrates suggested, but when he jumped up and down on the bonnet of a car as a drunken prank, he had turned 18 and was sentenced for the first time as an adult.
Helen Waite, prosecuting, said: “Around midnight a Mr Berry was woken at home in Two Rivers Way, Newbury, by a loud bang which he thought came from near his car.
Next morning he realised it had, in fact, come from the car itself – the bonnet was dented and the front windscreen was smashed.
“The police were informed and scenes of crime officers found blood on the shattered windscreen, and that identified this defendant as having had contact with it.”
Mr Lucas, of Westbourne Terrace, Newbury, was arrested and Ms Waite added: “He told police he had left The Swan pub in London Road drunk.
He recalled jumping up and down on a car bonnet before the windscreen smashed and he cut his hand. He told officers he might have been told to do it by friends, as he is very impressionable when drunk.”
Mr Berry said in a statement that his Audi had sustained £1,000 of damage.
Mr Lucas, who has a string of previous convictions from the youth court, admitted causing criminal damage on May 4 this year. Mike Davis, defending, said: “Clearly he has had far too much to drink and has behaved like a complete idiot; he acknowledges that. He has no job and is living on benefits so I would ask you to mitigate the amount of any compensation.”
A probation officer told the court that, before turning 18, Mr Lucas used to be “in and out of youth court every week” for offences including car theft and, on the evening in question had drunk seven pints and six measures of spirits.
Presiding magistrate Doug Porter said: “Sentencing in the adult court is different - as Mr Lucas is about to find out.”
Magistrates made Mr Lucas subject to a 12-month community order with supervision requirement.
However, he looked incredulous when they also ordered him to undertake 50 hours unpaid community work and told him to pay £200 in compensation to Mr Berry and £50 costs plus a statutory surcharge of £60.
Presiding magistrate Douglas Porter told him: “Hard cheese. You can shake your head all you like – welcome to adult court, Mr Lucas.”
