A MAN offered little explanation for why he went on a “rampage”, kicking in fences and smashing car windows, causing $7500 damage in about an hour.
Klea Pappin was arrested about 4am Monday morning in Mildura on an outstanding warrant.
He appeared before Mildura Magistrates’ Court later that day and pleaded guilty to a string of offences committed in Swan Hill on October 3.
About 3.20am the 20-year-old was seen on CCTV in Campbell Street, trying the door handles of multiple cars.
After gaining entry to one car, he stole a staff card for the local hospital before smashing the window of a nearby Toyota Prado.
He ran from the scene before being captured damaging a fence.
A police prosecutor said he appeared to “try and fight a tree” before causing $450 to a fence by kicking it and smashing a second car window.
In Splatt Street he kicked 30 to 40m of fence panels causing $4000 damage and then damaged multiple letter boxes and a further fence.
The court was told he then went to a family member’s house and had a few drinks and smoked cannabis.
He then went out again, climbing into an unlocked car and stole $20 in loose change before putting on the victim’s face mask and walking away.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan said he went on “quite the rampage” with his defence counsel saying he’d had a family dispute that night.
Counsel said he had been working picking watermelons in Dareton and Coomealla before his arrest.
Pappin repeatedly told Magistrate Coghlan he wanted to sign up to a footy club in Mildura and maybe even play in the AFL.
“They wont want you in the AFL if you engage in this behaviour, you are the last one they’d want in their club because you’ve been causing trouble,” he said.
Pappin was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work within six months, be assessed for drug and alcohol issues and engage in programs to reduce his risk of reoffending.
