Man who smashed Chesterfield shop's glass door with hammer avoids jail
The defendant said he did not remember the incident taking place but pleaded guilty.
A man who smashed a glass door at a Chesterfield town centre shop with a hammer has appeared in court.
Steven Spidy, 45, of Wordsworth Road, Newbold, was seen walking at West Bars in Chesterfield with a coat in his hand at around 10.45pm on Sunday, October 4.
Suddenly, he produced a hammer from underneath his coat and struck the glass entrance door at aGeek computer repair shop multiple times.
The shocking incident was captured by a CCTV camera and DNA samples from the scene confirmed the defendant’s identity.
Spidy was charged with causing criminal damage to property and appeared in Chesterfield Magistrates Court on Thursday, November 5.
The defendant said he did not remember the incident taking place but pleaded guilty acknowledging that the CCTV footage and DNA samples linked him to the crime.
He was also charged with a breach of a community order imposed in connection with a shop theft, which was unrelated to the aGeek incident on October 4 - and pleaded guilty.
The court heard that the incident left aGeek shop owner out of pocket with the costs of around £1100.
Additionally, the damaged glass door included a sign purchased from a specialist store that went out of business, making it difficult to replace.
In a statement read out in court by prosecution, the aGeek owner explained the far-reaching financial and emotional impact of the incident.
He said it had led to many ‘sleepless nights’ and described watching CCTV in the middle of the night in fear that another similar incident would occur.
The defence said Spidy’s ‘health has taken a decline’ and he had been struggling with arthritis.
The court has heard that he has ‘spent several months homeless’ and was ‘alcohol dependent’ for a long time.
The court further heard that the defendant was stressed due to his dog being ill and was previously stealing from shops to help his dog.
District Judge Jonathan Taaffe sentenced Spidy to 26 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months for the criminal damage and seven shop theft offences.
He has been ordered to pay £500 compensation to aGeek.
He has also been handed a six month drug and alcohol probation requirement.