A SALES advisor admitted he could not explain “bizarre” acts of vandalism in which he ripped the window wipers off parked cars.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard today (Tuesday, March 19) that Gerrard Bland, 38, of Bank Top Mews, pulled the wipers off two cars parked at Darlington railway station on December 8 and 11, causing more than £800 of damage.

Prosecutor John Garside said CCTV cameras caught Bland in the act and he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage in court.

Mr Garside said: “He admitted it to the police, saying he couldn’t really state why he did it.”

Mitigating, John Clish said that Bland had no previous convictions and no issues with drink or drugs, but was coming to terms with both his parents being seriously ill and his wife suffering mental problems.

He said: “The circumstances do seem somewhat bizarre.

“The owners of the vehicles were not known to the defendant, there was no incident prior to the criminal damage and it is hard to rationalise what seems to be mindless vandalism.

“He has had some bad times, it seems to have been a build up of personal circumstances which, unfortunately, have got the better of the defendant and caused him to act grossly out of character.”

Magistrates ordered Bland to pay a total of £831.42 in compensation, plus £85 court costs.