Ulverston dad ordered to pay back restaurant after damage in Barrow
An Ulverston man has been ordered to pay nearly £500 in compensation after damaging a well-known Italian restaurant in Barrow town centre.
Benjamin Athersmith, 33, admitted causing damage to Salvana’s restaurant on Cavendish Street on the evening of September 12 last year. South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court heard he smashed a glass panel door by repeatedly kicking it while the restaurant was closed and secured.
The damage was said to total £490.58.
Door damaged while restaurant was closed
The court heard the incident happened late at night when the restaurant was not open.
Prosecutor Lee Dacre said Athersmith used excessive kicks to smash the glass panel door. Because the business was closed at the time, no one was inside when the damage was caused.
Even so, the incident left the popular town centre restaurant with a repair bill of almost £500.
Defendant admitted criminal damage
Athersmith, of Bay Tree Road, Ulverston, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage when he appeared in court on April 20.
That meant the case was dealt with without the need for a trial, with magistrates instead focusing on the circumstances of the offence and what sentence should be imposed.
Court heard he had made progress
In mitigation, Trystan Roberts told the court that Athersmith had already been jailed in November last year in connection with other offences involving damage and theft.
He said he did not know why this particular case had only now come before the court, adding that it would not have affected the earlier prison sentence.
Mr Roberts also said this was the first time he had seen Athersmith while sober. He told the court that Athersmith had spoken intelligently and compliantly, and was now engaging with Recovery Steps and making significant progress.
Compensation order made
Magistrates imposed a two-year conditional discharge.
They also ordered Athersmith to pay £490.58 in compensation to Salvana’s to cover the cost of the damage.
That means he will not face further punishment for this offence unless he commits another offence during the next two years.
Another Barrow town centre court case
While the financial damage in this case was relatively limited, it still left a town centre business having to deal with the cost and disruption of unnecessary damage.
For local readers, the case is another reminder of the impact this kind of behaviour can have on businesses, even when incidents happen after closing time.
