Settle man, 21, attacked car with a pool cue (From Craven Herald)

Settle man, 21, attacked car with a pool cue

1:07pm Thursday 1st November 2012 in News

A 21-year-old who attacked a VW Beetle with a pool cue while in a drunken stupor has been ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work.

Johnathan Greenbank fell into a rage after returning to his flat in Settle and finding £100 missing from his wallet, Skipton magistrates heard on Friday.

Earlier on September 7, Greenbank, who lived in a flat above the Fisherman’s Fish and Chip Shop in Church Street, had gone into the shop and prodded a customer in the ribs.

He had then gone up to his flat, returned with the pool cue and gone to the nearby car park, where the customer was now sitting in his car. After poking the cue through the window of the car, he turned his attention onto a group of youths and brandished the cue at them, the court was told.

Greenbank then went over to a parked car and hit it several times with force.

The owner, Patricia Harding, later told police she could not believe it was happening and described it like something off the television.

She estimated the damage at around £850.

The court heard that Greenbank, of Church Street, was on police bail at the time for a separate offence, for which he received last month a 12-week suspended prison sentence, 80 hours’ unpaid work and a 90-day curfew.

He admitted using threatening or abusive, insulting words or behaviour, criminal damage and the possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. In mitigation, Jane Nield said Greenbank had been drinking heavily all day at the time and had returned home to find £100 missing from his wallet.

She said he suspected some youths were responsible and had gone looking for them with his pool cue.

Ms Nield said since the incident, Greenbank had realised he needed to curb his drinking and had given it up.

Magistrates gave him a 12- month community order to run alongside his current order. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work and a new curfew of 90 days from 9pm to 7am.

Compensation of £500 was awarded to Ms Harding and a confiscation and destruction order made on the pool cue.

No costs were awarded.