Cyclist's tyre slash vendetta

James Sturcke
Thursday March 25, 2004
The Guardian

A cyclist angered by motorists' behaviour was warned that he faces a jail term yesterday after he admitted taking revenge by slashing more than 1,700 car tyres, causing damage amounting to £250,000.

Ashley Carpenter, 37, began a 10-day vandalism spree after a car nearly knocked him off his bike and another drenched him by driving through a puddle.

Bournemouth magistrates were told he left his home by bike at night armed with a sharpened screwdriver and randomly punctured tyres on nearly 600 cars parked in Bournemouth and Christchurch, Dorset.

Carpenter, unemployed, admitted eight charges of criminal damage last December and asked for 540 similar offences to be taken into consideration. Sentencing was adjourned.

The court heard that at least 1,728 tyres were damaged. Julia Woodward, prosecuting, said: "He struck on roads, in private car parks, in public car parks and in people's driveways."

She added: "This scale of offending was unprecedented and caused immense distress."

He was arrested after the police studied CCTV pictures.