Anthony Herbert pleaded guilty to casuing criminal damage to daffodils when he appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court
A MAN has been slapped with a £100 fine after ripping out flowers from council flower beds - then giving some of the blooms to staff in a cafe.
Anthony Herbert was captured on CCTV at around 8.20am picking daffodils and other plants from the ornamental beds outside Port Talbot Civic Centre - he threw some of the plants into a bin and a fountain, and then put a handful of daffs in a cup and took them inside the offices for staff working at the centre's cafe.
Police were called by civic centre security staff, and Herbert was found at the town's bus station a short while later and arrested.
Herbert, of Pentyla Baglan Road, Baglan, pleaded guilty to criminal damage on April 22 when he appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court today.
The court heard it was not possible to put a value on the damage the 49-year-old had caused.
Mark Davies, for Herbert, conceded his client's behaviour on the day in question had been "strange", and said the defendant had instructed him that he had initially been "weeding" the beds and removing dead plants.
The solicitor added: "He did not deliberately go out to will-nilly cause damage - four or five of the daffodils were presented as a gift to staff in the cafeteria."
District Judge Neil Thomas, sitting at the magistrates court, said the extent of the damage Herbert had caused had been "extrmely minimal".
He said: "You appeared to be dead-heading daffodils and pulling up plants - it was none of your business to do that."
Herbert was fined £100 and told to pay £85 costs and a £30 surcharge.
Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Daffodil-vandal-fined-100-ripping-plants-council/story-29253181-detail/story.html#ixzz48RknRNJ2
Follow us: @SWEveningPost on Twitter | SWEveningPost on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment