Reading Magistrates’ Court: Lambourn teen smashed up mother’s home with hammer

A TEENAGER went berserk and smashed up his mother's home with a hammer.

To torment her further, he even sent a video of the damage he had wrought.

After hearing details of the rampage conducted by Alfie Hawkins, magistrate Paul Dick told him: “You deserve to go to prison.”

Amy King, prosecuting at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, May 11, said the 18-year-old had been living with his mother Helen and stepfather, Phillip Rackham, at The Granthams in Lambourn.

Then, following a family dispute on Tuesday, March 21, Mr Hawkins began texting menacing messages to his mother, such as: “You’re dead – don’t talk to me again.”

He then turned to his stepfather, the court heard, and threatened: “Get up now... I’m going to burn the house down.”

Alarmed, Mr Rackham grabbed his dog and left, said Ms King.

Looking back, he saw Mr Hawkins grab a hammer, with which he began smashing the walls, knocking out lumps of masonry and smashing through plaster boards.

He then moved to his mother’s bedroom and began knocking lumps from the walls there, too.

Ms King said: “He then sent his mother a video of the damage he had caused.”

Mr Hawkins was arrested and released on bail, on condition he did not contact his mother or attend the family home.

But he did, added Ms King – with devastating results.

Ms King said, five days after his original rampage, Mr Hawking pleaded with his mother to be allowed to collect some clothes and she relented.

But when he asked to borrow her mobile phone, she refused.

Within minutes, the court heard, Mr Hawkins had picked up the hammer again and smashed more holes in the walls, resulting in his re-arrest.

Mr Hawkins admitted two counts of causing criminal damage to property belonging to Helen Hawkins, one count of threatening to burn the house down and one of sending a menacing electronic communication.

He has no previous convictions.

Representing himself, Mr Hawkins told the court: “I don’t really know what to say.”

Pressed further by presiding magistrate Paul Dick, he added: “I feel bad for what happened.”

After reading a pre-sentence report with collagues, Mr Dick told him: “Anyone who commits these offences, then ignores bail instructions and does it again – it would be normal for them to go to prison.

“You deserve to go to prison.”

Nevertheless, he added, Mr Hawkins’ lack of previous convictions and early guilty pleas were mitigating factors.

Mr Dick went on: “You do seem to regret what you’ve done, although we can’t be sure about that.”

Nevetheless, he concluded: “Almost reluctantly, we’re going to go along with the suggestion of the pre-sentence report and you’re not going to prison today.

“You’ve no idea how lucky you are.”

Mr Hawkins was made subject to an 18-month community order with 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

In addition, he was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work.

Finally, Mr Hawkins was ordered to pay £40 costs, plus a statutory victim services surcharge of £114.