Vandal in town centre window-smashing spree is jailed

Sven Hyden was already in trouble for hitting a man with an improvised snooker-ball cosh when he was filmed on CCTV using a hammer to smash windows in the town's High Street.

He caused around £9,500 worth of damage to four premises, including the Sue Ryder charity shop, whose windows cost £1,500 to replace.

Mr Graham Russell, prosecuting, said Hyden also attacked the HSBC bank branch causing £5,000 worth of damage, Kim's Haberdashery at £594 and Jennings bookmakers, which got a bill for up to £2,400.

Hyden handed himself in at Cannock Police Station the same day - February 25 this year - telling officers he was 'suicidal'.

Hyden, aged 29, of Cannock Road, Heath Hayes, admitted four charges of criminal damage and separate offences of assault causing actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon.

Mr Russell said the first incident happened on September 29 last year in the White Hart pub. Victim Rob McCann was in the pool room where his friends were talking to the barmaid. Hyden interrupted, saying 'that's my wife' although the barmaid had never seen him before.

Mr McCann told him his friends were only joking, but Hyden put two snooker balls and a sock and hit him on the side of the head. The victim was taken to hospital and released after a CT scan, but has since been complaining of headaches, dizziness and tingling in his arm and is being kept under review by medics.

Recorder Andrew Baker QC told Hyden he regarded the window smashing as a 'cry for help'.

He told him: "That's not the way to go about it. You went on something of a significant vandalism spree, you ran up a repair bill in the order of £8,000. That's the sort of behaviour

that can't go unmarked."

Mr Darron Whitehead, defending, said: "My instructions are he knows his offending will be met with a custodial sentence and I'm not to ask for it to be suspended.

"He deliberately went out to smash windows to draw attention to himself to be arrested. He'll receive structured help in custody to address his drinking and drug use."