A man who had a “brain-snap” and reversed into his neighbour’s car after accusing his victim of blocking his way has been found guilty of property damage.
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Jared James Sullivan was earlier this month convicted in the ACT Supreme Court and placed on an 18-month good-behaviour order for deliberately crashing into Matthew Colin Barnes’s car.
In September 2010 Sullivan and mechanic Jordon Lincoln were living in a unit complex in Oaks Estate.
Mr Lincoln had been working on Mr Barnes’ Ford Mondeo, which was parked out the front of the units on the day of the incident.
Sullivan drove out his driveway but then stopped and reversed back.
He stopped about three metres from Mr Barnes’ Ford Mondeo, revved his engine and reversed “at some speed” into the other car.
The Mondeo, recently bought for $2000, was written off as a result of the damage.
Sullivan jumped out of his car and started shouting at Mr Lincoln, yelling something like, “You’ve got too many cars here, do you want a go, c***?’.
Mr Lincoln warned he would call the police and housing authorities, and Sullivan left the scene.
Later that day police were called to the scene after Sullivan did a burnout up the driveway.
Justice John Burns, in reasons published this morning, rejected the 32-year-old’s claim the Ford Mondeo was blocking his access to the unit complex.
“The accused may well have believed that the car should not have been there,” he wrote.
“However that is not an excuse for driving his motor vehicle intentionally into the Ford Mondeo.”
And the judge was left bemused by Sullivan’s suggestion the car had been dumped there.
“I had some difficulty in understanding the submission, based upon the evidence of the accused, that the property in question, the Ford Mondeo, was deemed to be uncollected goods,” he said.
“It is quite clear that the Ford Mondeo was, in fact, the property of Mr Barnes.”
Justice Burns took into account the fact Sullivan had no previous convictions, and acknowledged the man’s “clear frustration” about people parking on the premises.
"However, as I have already said, that really does not in any way justify your actions on this occasion,” he wrote.
Sullivan was placed on an 18-month good-behaviour order and ordered to pay Mr Barnes $2000 to cover the damage to the car.
