Cardiff Crown Court Jul 2019 JPEGCardiff Crown Court Jul 2019 JPEG

News

Man went on tyre-slashing ‘revenge’ rampage at used car dealership

  • Darren Kent caused nearly £6,000 of damage when he destroyed 100 tyres
  • He claimed owner of Carpoint UK in Newport had arranged for him to be assaulted
  • Judge calls allegation ‘an incredible misjudgment’
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Time 8:30 am, July 18, 2021

A man has narrowly avoided jail after slashing 100 tyres at a used car dealership in a ‘revenge’ attack.

Darren Kent caused nearly £6,000 of damage when he went on the rampage at Carpoint UK in Newport in May, Wales Online reported.

Cardiff Crown Court, pictured, was told he scaled the gates of the Mill Parade dealership and CCTV caught him attacking 25 cars.


Prosecutor Claire Pickthall said he made ‘full and frank’ admissions after police arrested him

She was reported as telling the court: ‘The defendant … believed someone at the business was involved in violence towards him. He said he came back to see how they liked it. It was by his own admission a revenge attack.’

His slashing spree cost the business £5,800.


Kent, 42, of Fair Oak Avenue, Newport, who admitted criminal damage, had 15 earlier convictions for 25 offences, which included criminal damage.

Defending, Stuart John said Kent’s ‘most compelling’ mitigation was that he admitted his guilt ‘at the first available opportunity’.

He added that Kent had been addressing a drug problem, and hadn’t touched heroin for six months.

Recorder Sean Bradley was reported as telling Kent: ‘You said you did it because the owner had arranged to have people assault you. This was an incredible misjudgement by you. It was a very foolish thing to do.

‘You say you wanted revenge but you have just landed yourself in real trouble here with the courts.

‘I don’t know what you were thinking that night or how you could get away with this. You caused a significant amount of damage and difficulties for this business.’

Kent was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and must carry out 15 days of rehabilitation activity.

He was also placed on an electronic curfew from 8pm to 6am for four months and ordered to pay £180 costs plus a £156 victim surcharge.

John Bowman's avatar

John has been with Car Dealer since 2013 after spending 25 years in the newspaper industry as a reporter then a sub-editor/assistant chief sub-editor on regional and national titles. John is chief sub-editor in the editorial department, working on Car Dealer, as well as handling social media.



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