Shropshire van driver breaks car park barrier after thinking he was trapped
A van driver who thought he was trapped in a public car park caused more than £1,000 worth of damage by forcibly lifting a barrier to get out.
Mark Bowen, of Western Avenue, Whittington, admitted damaging the gearbox of the electronically-controlled exit to the Ffrith Beach Complex in Prestatyn on July 15, 2015.
He had initially denied the offence but changed his plea on the basis that it was a reckless rather than a deliberate act.
At Prestatyn Magistrates Court, 46-year-old Bowen was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £1,040 in compensation, costs of £300 and a £15 surcharge.
Prosecutor John Wylde said CCTV footage showed that there was no other vehicle in the car park and no-one around.
It was therefore understandable, he said, that the defendant believed that the barrier was not operational when, in fact, motorists leaving the site should have obtained a voucher from the complex.