CCTV catches car vandal red-handed

A vandal who smashed up his next-door neighbour's car - causing damage estimated at more than £6,000 - was caught in the act on CCTV.
The CCTV footageThe CCTV footage
The CCTV footage

The closed circuit recording of the attack on a Ford Grand Scenic, valued at £30,000, parked on the drive of a home in Salisbury Avenue, Hindley, led police to arrest Dean Lally at the scene.

Neighbour Dennis Johnson said: “He used a bike lock to smash every window in the car but it was all captured on CCTV.”

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Lally, 36, was charged with causing criminal damage to the vehicle after being detained on the night of October 5.

And he pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court.

Magistrates sentenced him to a 12-month community order, which will involve him carrying out 100 hours community service.

Lally was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to Mr Johnson.

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But no victim surcharge was imposed by the court as the defendant was said to have been of limited means.

The magistrates also resisted an application for a restraining order to be made in the case, it has been confirmed.

Mr Johnson says that he first began experiencing difficulties with his neighbour around four months ago.

This had eventually escalated to abuse being hurled in both directions on a number of occasions, he admitted.

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But he became increasingly concerned when direct threats were issued that his car was going to be vandalised.

“It has cost me around £6,000 to repair because it’s a top-of-the-range model and he smashed every window,” added Mr Johnson.

“I just want him out of that house now because I can’t have this kind of thing happening again.”

Mr Johnson has also released CCTV stills of the incident, which was over in a matter of minutes, to the Wigan Post, as well as to police investigating the original matter.

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The incident is just the latest late-night drama to be captured by domestic security cameras in the Hindley area this year.

Back in May two robbers dressed in clown masks were recorded bursting into a home in Leigh Road, Hindley Green.

They confronted a pregnant woman before snatching a substantial amount of money, along with a men’s Omega Seamaster watch.