A VANDAL who caused more than £5000 of damage in one evening claimed he could hear “little birds saying ‘don’t do it’” when he went on a window-smashing spree around West Fife, including Cowdenbeath High Street.

Sammy Dean Young (24), of Ericht Drive, Dunfermline, went from town to town in a van and used a catapult and marbles to strike the windows of several shops and commercial properties.

Fiscal depute, Azrah Yousaf, told Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday that there were nine locations damaged, with repairs totalling £5280.

These included £280 to a window at the Kinross Kilt Company and £300 in total damage to two bus shelters and The Muirs Inn, as well as £1000 to a window in Iceland in Cowdenbeath. and the post office in Cowdenbeath.

Other premises damaged in Cowdenbeath were the You Know Who shop, where a £1800 window had to be replaced, and the post office, which required £1000 of repairs. A solicitors’ office had a £350 window smashed, while a butcher’s sustained £300 of damage.

Young admitted that on 15th August 2014 he maliciously fired marbles from a catapult and struck and broke windows of various commercial premises.

Ms Yousaf said the a number of the shops had been locked and secured, with proprietors only discovering the damage later.

Police officers viewing CCTV noticed a white Ford Transit van slowing down and windows being smashed before the van left. The van was insured by Young but not registered to him.

A shopkeeper later identified Young from images – he had purchased marbles from the shop and had been seen with a catapult.

Ms Yousaf continued, “Suspicion fell on the accused. When interviewed, he said he did it and there was an anger issue.

“He said he had had a catapult but had thrown it away and had learnt his lesson.

“He apologised for what he had done and said he could hear little birds in his ear saying, ‘Don’t do it, don’t do it’ but continued.

“He said he didn’t remember how many windows he had broken but had the catapult out the window, would let it go, hear the glass bang and start laughing.” Young then told officers, “I can’t make myself sound any more stupid, can I?” Ms Yousaf clarified that Young could have been driving or driven around in the van.

Solicitor Jenny Simpson said Young realised his conduct was “completely reprehensible”, and that there had not been any specific target – “he was just putting a number of marbles in the catapult and firing them”.

However, Sheriff Simon Collins interjected, “He’s going around firing marbles at windows and it was not planned to be malicious? How could it be anything else.

“It took place once the shops had been closed from 5pm onwards. He didn’t have any idea if there was anybody inside – they could have been affected by flying glass.” Ms Simpson continued, “It’s not something he normally does and he can’t offer much explanation for what happened at the time.

“A lot of damage was caused in a short period of time and afterwards he got rid of the catapult.

“He is very embarrassed he’s gone out and behaved in this way.” Sheriff Collins deferred sentence until 5th August for a supplementary Criminal Justice Social Work report, a restriction of liberty order assessment, and a medical assessment for fitness to undertake unpaid work.

He warned Young, “This is a very serious matter. If you were not a first offender, I would be sending you to prison.”