Mansfield man couldn't remember why he punched out both wing mirrors of neighbour's van

Justin Barks attacked the Volkswagen Crafter van when it was parked outside his home on Gordon Avenue, just after midnight, on January 29, said prosecutor Pardeep Kalyan.

A witness watched him as he hit the driver’s side mirror first and then walked around to the other side to hit the other, causing £564 of damage.

"They had been neighbours for 18 months but didn't know each other by name," said Mr Kalyan.

The court heard Barks, aged 30, has a previous conviction for criminal damage from 2015.

Treve Lander, mitigating, said Barks accepted full responsibility after he was shown CCTV footage of the incident.

“There is no history to this at all and no ill-feeling," he said. "All he can say is ‘I can't remember why it happened’.

“He tells me he was drinking heavily that evening. He entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity and deserves full credit.”

Mr Lander said the labourer and dad-of-two has no drink or drug issues and earns £385 a week.

Barks admitted criminal damage when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court.

The presiding magistrate told him that the bench had considered imposing a community order and involving the probation service because they were concerned he couldn’t remember the offence.

He was fined £256 and ordered to pay £85 costs, a £34 surcharge and £564 compensation.