Sunderland man threatened to torch parents' Nissan Qashqai after being released from prison

Marc Quinn, 23, of East View, Sunderland, went to Wayne and Patricia Quinn’s home on April 18 - just a day after his release from a prison sentence, a court heard.

He knocked on the window but then lost his temper, making the threat in reference to the Nissan Qashqai and telling Mrs Quinn and his sister someone else would carry out the attack.

His mum marked his words carefully, knowing he had previously set fire to a former girlfriend’s car – and police were called, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

Quinn has now been locked up for three months after changing his plea to threatening to destroy property from not guilty to guilty.

Prosecutor Lesley Burgess said: “He has rung his mother to say that he was coming to the property to collect his belongings.

“The defendant’s mother was there, together with her daughter. He was very angry during the conversation.

“He then made a comment to Mrs Quinn, about her Qashqai being torched that night but that it wouldn’t be by him because he was on a tag.

“His mother didn’t believe it was a flippant comment. There appears to be some grievance between the defendant and his father.”

Ms Burgess said his father seemed to have sold a car during his prison term, adding: “that seems to have inflamed the situation.”

Ms Burgess continued: “There has been a previous occasion where he has set on fire a previous partner’s vehicle.

“He had pleaded not guilty previously but now pleads guilty. His parents have asked for a restraining order, not to not see him but against him pestering and alarming them.”

Jason Smith, defending, told the court Quinn had been recalled to prison due to breaching the terms of his release licence.

He said Quinn suffers from some bipolar condition and that when he was in custody a vehicle was sold by his dad.

Mr Smith added: “He went round to collect his goods but he accepts that he went for an argument and an argument is what he got.

“He would never have taken this out on his mum and dad, it’s a perception but in the past has been shown to be true. It’s an extremely unpleasant offence.

“What they are asking is for him to think about what he says before he says it.”

Mr Smith added: “He’s in a difficult position because he has been recalled until the end of July.

“This offence would not pass the custody threshold on its own merits.”

A charge of contravening restrictions around movement due to the coronavirus, relating to the same incident was withdrawn by the prosecution.

Quinn was also made subject to a two-year restraining order which prevents him from threatening, harassing or pestering his parents.He must pay a £128 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

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