Baker in court for head-butting sausage roll machine when it stopped working properly

A baker has been prosecuted for head-butting a sausage roll machine in anger when it stopped working properly. Shane Thompson, 22, was working on the £27,000 computer-controlled machine when he lost his temper and head-butted the display screen. His attack created a crack measuring six inches by four inches in the display, Scarborough Magistrates heard on Tuesday.

Thompson's bosses said it would cost £3,204 to fix, Prosecutor Kathryn Reeve told the court. The baker had been working for Yorkshire Baker for 17 months when his frustration boiled over in July. Thompson, of Malton, North Yorkshire, has since found a new job as ride operator at Flamingo Land theme park. His former bosses docked £295 from his wages to cover the cost of the damage and wanted the £2,909 balance, the court heard.



Defending solicitor Robert Vining said: “The defendant is at a total loss to understand how butting a glass screen and cracking it results in that piece of equipment being worthless. He admits he became frustrated with the equipment. It was not making the pastry properly so he lost his temper and head-butted the glass screen and cracked it.” Thompson admitted criminal damage. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £720 compensation towards the cost of repairing the machine.

An order was made to take the money out of his wages. But he escaped paying a surcharge and £85 court costs due to priority being given to the compensation order. The case was stood down for inquiries to be made into whether the Swedish made machine could be repaired more cheaply. It emerged the overall value was £27,000 but the touch screen, which was a vital part of the process, would cost £2,500 to fix on its own.