Drunk man caused £9,000 worth of damage by smashing up Leeds store and five cars with baseball bat during 'red mist moment' after watching wrestling

Andrew Scott told the police that he could not remember carrying out the criminal damage spree after he spent the evening drinking vodka and watching wrestling on TV at his home in Hunslet, Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court heard Scott used a baseball bat to cause around £3,000 of damage by using a baseball bat to smash windows at The Range, City South Retail Park, in the early hours of December 13 last year.

Scott, 40, then turned his attention to a BMW in the car park.

He used the weapon to smash windows and the driver's side door of the vehicle.

Scott then walked to nearby Arthington Street and began to attack residents' cars.

People living in the street were woken by the noise and contacted police.

Damage to one car cost £2,100 to repair.

A police dog was used to find Scott.

Officers arrested the defendant using pepper spray and he dropped the baseball bat.

A claw hammer, two knives and a half-empty bottle of vodka were found in the rucksack he had been carrying.

When interviewed Scott told officers that the incident was "a blur."

He said he could recall leaving his home around 3am after drinking vodka and watching a wrestling match on TV.

Scott, of Arthington View, Hunslet, pleaded guilty to six counts of criminal damage, possessing an offensive weapon and possessing a knife in a public place.

Holly Clegg, mitigating, said: "He can't really explain why he behaved the way he did."

Ms Clegg said Scott was struggling with his mental health after losing his job due to the pandemic.

She added: "The pressures of lockdown led to a red mist moment."

A probation service report assessed Scott as a low risk of reoffending.

Scott was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work and complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.