Resident fined for car vandalism

A retired company director has been ordered to pay more than £15,000 in compensation after he carried out an 11-month campaign of vandalism on cars near his home.

Ian Davis Phillips, of Mulroy Road, Sutton Coldfield, was told on Monday he had narrowly escaped a jail sentence.

The 62-year-old used paint stripper to damage 34 vehicles. The court heard he was angry that motorists had parked too near a dangerous junction.

'Petty behaviour'

Phillips pleaded guilty to 19 offences of criminal damage at Walsall Magistrates Court in March.

He asked for a further 15 charges to be taken into account when he appeared on Monday.

As well as paying £15,654.79 in compensation to his victims, the married father-of-two has also been ordered to complete 180 hours of community service and pay £350 costs.

Judge Frank Chapman told Phillips, the former head of a light engineering company, that his behaviour had been "petty and childish".

'Impeccable' character

Prosecutor Jonathan Salmon told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Phillips was caught on 21 January this year during a police surveillance operation mounted in response to a number of attacks on cars.

Some of the vandalism incidents dated back to February 2003.

All of the victims had been parked legally near Phillips' home. Double yellow lines have since been painted on the stretch of road involved.

David Jones, defending, described his client's character as "impeccable" and said he thought he was trying to reduce a danger.