A CASTLE VALE man has been jailed for eight months after setting a marked police car ablaze outside a police station causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Robert Key, from Stornoway Road, Castle Vale, was captured on CCTV as he drunkenly jumped on the bonnet of the Vauxhall Corsa before pelting it with a stone and then leaning in the driver’s side window to set the car alight.
The damage was estimated to be in excess of the value of the car and consequently written off after the attack at 3am on Sunday, March 22 outside Castle Vale Police Station.
The 31-year-old was identified from the CCTV footage and sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to four months in prison after admitting the offence. He was also given a further four months for production of cannabis after a search of his home address revealed ten plants.
The court heard that Key had turned to drink and drugs after the death of his father, which had been the catalyst for his reckless behaviour. He has since shown genuine remorse for his actions and the sentence reflects this.
