Sunderland man out of pocket after mistakenly trying to boot in the front door of his former home

Drunken Myles Anderson’s blunder saw him get the attention of the new female tenant by knocking on her front door late on Friday, July 4.

Anderson, 22, of no fixed abode, “grunted” when asked why he was at the property in St Luke’s Road, Ford Estate, prosecutor Marcus Blakelock said.

He then headed to the back garden but became aggressive when the shocked resident’s parents arrived and asked him to leave.

Mr Blakelock told magistrates in South Tyneside: “The victim heard a knock at the door and saw a male who she did not recognise.

“She opened the door and asked if he was ok. He grunted an answer. He was laughing and smiling.

“She said that if there was nothing she could do, she would go back inside.

“Fifteen minutes later, she noticed the same male had sat down on a chair in her back garden.

“She called her parents who came and asked the man to leave. He followed them to the front of the house.

“They tried to persuade him to go but he became aggressive, and police were called.

“He kicked the front window four times and then kicked the door, breaking the letterbox.

“She stated that he kicked the front door 40 or 50 times and only stopped when police arrived.”

Anderson, who has two previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing criminal damage.

Paul McAlindon, defending, said: “A lone female at home, a male coming and causing damage. In reality, it’s a little less sinister.

“The reality is that the address was where he was the tenant. He was recently evicted for rent arrears.

“Quite simply, he got intoxicated one night and went on autopilot for home and set off.

“He apologises to the victim for this. He wants her to know that it wasn’t personal.

“He tried to get in, that’s why he was hanging around in the back garden. It was a mistake.”

Magistrates ordered Anderson to pay the woman £100 compensation for her damaged door, with £85 court costs.