South Shields man smashed his neighbour’s car with a dumbbell

Freddy Baldwin, 30, put the window out at the property in Revesby Street, Tyne Dock, in a breakfast-time attack on Sunday, June 23.

Moments later, Baldwin, who lives six doors away in the same street, bashed her motor with his gym weights, prosecutor John Garside said.

Magistrates in South Tyneside heard the convicted burglar struck in retaliation for an attack on his home he believed his victim was responsible for.

Mr Garside said the police had offered to deal with the case against Baldwin by way of a dispersal, meaning the case would not have reached court.

But the defendant had failed to comply with the requirements of being punished by a possible caution, leading him to appear before magistrates.

Mr Garside said: “The defendant has broken windows. He was subsequently interviewed by police.

“He confirmed that not just the window, but the car was damaged as well.

“He explained that he had smashed the front window and gone back outside with a dumbbell because his windows had been smashed.

“He said he had damaged the driver’s window with a dumbbell.”

Baldwin pleaded guilty to a charge of causing criminal damage.

In October, he was handed a 12-month prison term, suspended for the same period, for burglary.

At the same sentencing hearing, he was ordered to complete a six-month drug rehabilitation programme.

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David Forrester, defending, said his heart had sunk when he saw Baldwin’s name on the latest court offenders’ list.

Mr Forrester said that was due to lengthy dealings with him last summer for the burglary matter.

But he revealed his spirits lifted when he saw that his new offence preceded his suspended sentence, meaning he was not in breach of it.

Mr Forrester added: “He has all sorts of problems, and he got in with people who got him cocaine and invited him to go burgling.

“My heart picked up when I realised it was an offence from June. He was in custody for a number of weeks last summer.”

Magistrates ordered Baldwin to pay his victim £150 compensation.