Last Updated on: 26th April 2015, 12:41 pm
Mark Brittenmust have been taking notes when thestory of that guy who beat up the self-checkout machine at Home Depot after he pushed the Spanish button by accidentcame out a couple years ago.
Britten was sentenced in Nottingham Crown Court to a 12 month community order and ordered to pay £200 towards his own prosecution for an incident that resulted in him being arrested for criminally damaging a bank machine that swallowed his card.
The trouble started when he was unable to get cash out of 2 different bank machines at other locations. When the third time turned out not to be the charm and insult was added to injury when his card was eaten, Britten dialled 999 and told police that he wanted the machine shut down so that nobody else would have to go through the same frustration. Upon being told that police were too busy, he decided to take matters into his own hands and chuck a brick at the screen.
“I was incensed by it all,” he is quoted as saying. “I wanted the police to shut the machine down so it would not happen to anyone else. And they said they were too busy… so I smashed it with a brick.”
Sounds sensible enough, but unfortunately, he kept talking.
According to prosecutor Sarah Munro, Britten said in interviews with authorities that he would smash every machine in Browtowe.
I bet that didn’t help, and come to think of it, neither did this.
The TSB machine was out of action for two months and the damage was estimated at £1,500 to £2,000.
After the judge was told it had to be replaced, Britten said: “So it was a faulty machine, your honour. The machine was no good.” The judge replied: “It is now.”
Nice try.
This isn’t the first time that Britten has been in trouble with the law. He was previously hauled into court for you guessed it, criminal damaging. Last time it was to the doors of a bingo hall. I’d love to know what set that one off.
