A man has been cleared of gouging sports cars and SUVs with a knife after the only two witnesses failed to turn up to court.
Demos Soteriou, 49, pleaded guilty to possession of a kitchen knife, but said he had picked it up and was intending to take it home.
But eight charges of criminal damage to cars including a Porsche, BMW, Mercedes and an Alfa Romeo belonging to the owner of the Wolfox coffee chain were dismissed.
The damage to the cars, which was valued at £18,489, happened on 24 March last year in Russell Square, the same day police stopped Soteriou and found the knife on him.
Defending at Brighton Magistrates Court today, Jason la Corbiniere said: “He found the knife in the street and picked it up intending to use it for cooking in his house.
“He accepts that by not taking it straight home he did not have a basis for carrying it.”
He added: “He’s currently street homeless and he has no means.”
Prosecuting, Catherine Flatt said: “The trial today was for the possession of a bladed article article and there were eight charged in relation to criminal damage to cars in Russell Square.
“Witnesses have not appeared and therefore the crown offers no evidence in the criminal damage charges.”
She said the witnesses had been warned of the trial date in good time and she did not know why they had not attended today.
The eight cars were:
- An Alfa Romeo with a personalised numberplate belonging to Fabio Lauro, the owner of Wolfox
- A Porsche Boxter belonging to Simon Dale
- A VW Touran belonging to Geoffrey Davies
- A Kia Sportage belonging to Richard Varney
- A BMW 330i belonging to Andreu Theodorou
- A Mercedes S350d belonging to Thomas McKee
- A BMW X3 belonging to Andreas Tooma
- A VW Passat belonging to Jake Millward.
Chair of the bench Mark Durell said: “In relation to eight counts of criminal damage to vehicles, as the Crown is offering no evidence, on those, the matters are formally dismissed.”
After hearing from probation, he said: “One of the things that concerned me is that you didn’t appreciate the risks of carrying a knife.
“That’s one of the most important things our level of court deals with.”
He gave Soteriou a six-month sentence suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to carry out 15 rehabilitation activity days.
He was also ordered to pay £50 in costs and a victim surcharge of £128.
