Two men who wrapped five cars in cling film before setting them on fire walked free from court yesterday.
Christopher Brooke, 24, of Hillside Gardens in Wallington, and Halen Vince, 21, of Oakmead Road, Mitcham, pleaded guilty to arson and were warned to expect a jail sentence at an earlier hearing.
They had even brought their packed suitcases to the sentencing at Croydon Crown Court but Judge David Ellis spared them jail, saying he accepted they had acted out of character.
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The court heard how last September, after a night drinking in a pub, the men set fire to two Mercedes, a Toyota Yaris, a Mini Cooper and a Vauxhall Omega, causing nearly £8,000 damage.
Sekinah Anson, prosecuting, said the vehicles parked in Waterer Rise and Hillside Gardens, were on fire when police got there and the two men were seen nearby and arrested. A lighter was found on one of them.
Defence barrister Chloe Fordham described the crime as "momentary stupidity".
"Neither of them is entirely clear what went on as they had had too much to drink. Neither had any motivation for what he did and hadn't planned it. It was an act of momentary stupidity," she said.
Both men, added Miss Fordham, had potentially good futures. Brooke was setting up his own software company and Vince was qualified in horticulture.
Judge Ellis imposed an eight-month sentence suspended for two years and, in addition to 280 hours' unpaid work, ordered them to each pay £887 compensation.
He told them: "This is a serious form of criminal damage. You managed to get hold of a roll of cling film which you set alight and, for no particular reason, used it to damage five cars.
"I am prepared to accept you acted out of character and that you realise the danger you could have caused.
"It could have caused enormous distress and it is the sort of mindless behaviour that the public is not prepared to tolerate."
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