AN ALCOHOL-FUELLED Valium binge spiralled out of control resulting in a broken shop window valued at almost £2,000 and four broken car wing mirrors.
This week (Jan 4) 18-year-old Stephan Power of Mount Estate, Milford Haven pleaded guilty to five charges of causing criminal damage when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates. All five offences took place on August 20 after Power had been out drinking with friends in Milford Haven.
“Unfortunately on that day, he’d been mixing with a bad crowd,” his solicitor, Peter Tarr, told the court. “Whilst he was in their company he was offered Valium which was the first time he’d taken drugs. From then on he has no memory of what happened.”
But Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan swiftly outlined to magistrates the scale of events. As well as damaging a shop window valued at £1,196 belonging to John Foster-Power, the defendant went on to damage four car wing mirrors to the cost of almost £500. “This was just mindless damage,” she said.
Mr Tarr went on to say that Power was taken to hospital later that day when his family became concerned at the amount of drugs he had consumed. “I’m pleased to say that my client has now left those so-called friends behind and doesn’t wish to be around them any longer.”
Power was subjected to a 12 month community order and 50 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £95 surcharge. He was also ordered to pay a total of £1,328.52 compensation to the five victims.
