Furious driver who failed to remove wheel clamp with axe set fire to his car

A driver was so angry his parked car had been clamped that he set fire to it, a court has been told. Scott Smithers, 27, of Victoria Parade, Torquay, set fire to newspaper in the back seat after attempts to remove the clamp with an axe failed, Exeter Crown Court was told. He later admitted losing his temper in a drunken rage. "My brain ended up being an idiot," he told police.

Judge Paul Darlow sentenced Smithers to a high level community order saying he had narrowly avoided jail because no lives had been threatened. Smithers had previously admitted an offence of arson, on June 10 last year. Prosecutor Howard Phillips said Smithers and his fiancee parked the Metro, worth £120, in Victoria Parade and went for a drink. When they returned they discovered it had been clamped. "In a drunken state this enraged him," said Mr Phillips. "He got an axe out and tried to break the clamp."



When this failed he tried to set the car alight first trying to get the fuel pump from under the bonnet then taking a petrol can from the boot and pouring the contents into the vehicle. The prosecutor said the can was virtually empty so Smithers screwed up newspaper, put it in the back seat and set it alight. He girlfriend left the scene when he would not listen to her pleas to stop. Smithers later told her it had been 'fun' to see firemen putting the fire out. Mitigating, Nigel Wraith, said Smithers handed himself in the next day after sobering up.

He said Smithers had a serious alcohol problem and was extremely sorry for what he had done. He said Smithers often drank four litres of cider a day but wanted help to stop. The court was told he had two children who he did not support financially. He had one previous conviction for criminal damage. Judge Darlow said: "It is a very close run thing but I am just able to pass a high level community order." He said he would go to prison if he did not co-operate with the authorities.