Forgetful car damager who ‘keyed’ cars at Rosebud Plaza hit with big compensation order, shopping ban
A retiree who “keyed” seven cars at Rosebud Plaza in a scratching spree says he can only remember one incident. The vague vandal’s revenge-fuelled rampage not only cost him thousands, he’s now banned from shopping there without his wife.
South East
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A vague vandal who couldn’t remember repeatedly ‘keying’ strangers’ cars in a serial scratching spree has been placed on a good behaviour bond.
But John Wood, 73, must pay back nearly $8000 in compensation to the owners of the seven duco-damaged vehicles he attacked.
And he has also been banned from attending Rosebud Plaza without his wife in tow.
Wood pleaded guilty at Dromana Magistrates’ Court to seven criminal damage charges on Thursday.
The court heard the Rosebud retiree couldn’t explain why he vandalised six vehicles in the Plaza car park and one in the neighbouring Aldi area last year.
He was nabbed on the last occasion, on October 29, by an alert Plaza security guard who noticed him acting suspiciously.
She went over to see what was going on, saw Wood using something to scratch another car’s door, and confronted him.
Wood told her “someone had done it to him previously”, alluding to that fact he may have himself been the victim of ‘keying’.
But he then drove off before police could arrive.
Officers soon worked out he was also to blame for other reported ‘keyings’ that happened at the Plaza on February 13, August 21, August 23, October 7, October 8 and one on October 20 at Aldi.
When tracked down he admitted the last criminal damage offence, but couldn’t remember the other six incidents.
He was identified through CCTV footage and the fact that the other victim’s cars were damaged in near identical ways.
Regarding the last scratching he told police he had “had damage done to my car so felt justified in damaging theirs” but said his memory was very bad and didn’t know about the others.
In court Wood’s lawyer said his client had been having mental health issues at the time for which he had sought medical treatment.
But when asked why his client had committed such bizarre acts of criminal damage, especially considering he had no prior court history at all, the lawyer said he “could offer no explanation”.
He said Wood had no problems with paying for the damage he had caused, which would not be repeated, and guaranteed he would not go to the Plaza without his wife.
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Magistrate Timothy Gattuso said it was an unusual case.
“This behaviour is very out of character,” Mr Gattuso said.
“Your references do say you are embarrassed and remorseful, even though you have limited memory of what you did.”
Mr Gattuso said he wouldn’t normally give a bond in serial criminal damage cases but — due to Wood having no priors, providing an early guilty plea, the amount of restitution he must pay and the promise he will have continued medical treatment — he deserved some leniency.
Wood was placed on a good behaviour bond for 12 months and ordered to pay $7735 in compensation. No conviction was recorded.