ANGRY after having a row with his girlfriend, a Crewkerne man who had been drinking “saw red” and took out his frustration on a brand new forecourt car and smashed the window with his fists.

When police were called to the scene of the incident at Howards Group at Yeovil they found Ashley Baker who confessed he was responsible for the damage and said: “I did it, I punched it.”

When he appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil he said it had been an expensive evening out for him and said he had now learnt his lesson.

Baker, 23, of Station Road, admitted damaging a Hyundai Santa Fe vehicle belonging to Howards Group at Yeovil on November 8.

Prosecutor Lucy Coleman said that Baker went to Watercombe Lane on the Lynx trading estate in Yeovil at around 2am on November 8.

While he was there he deliberately punched the nearside front passenger window of a brand new unattended car.

This caused it to smash.

The defendant was found at the scene by police officers and was asked if he owned the car to which he replied no.

When he was asked who had smashed the window of the car he admitted it had been him.

He was arrested by the officers and during a later interview said he had been drinking alcohol with a friend from 8.30pm the previous evening.

“He was then collected by his girlfriend and they started rowing so they pulled over onto the trading estate and Baker got out and then lost it,” she said.

“The defendant walked off and started punching things and saying he had it in his head not to do it, but did.”

Baker told the police he “just saw red” and acknowledged his actions were stupid saying he felt foolish and regretted what had happened.

The court was told that the damaged vehicle had been a brand new car and was worth £37,000.

Appearing unrepresented, Baker told the magistrates that he had acted on the spur of the moment and had now learnt his lesson.

“It was a very expensive night and I regret doing it as it was very silly and had no idea why I did what I did,” he said.

The defendant was fined £200 and also ordered to pay a £150 court charge, £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs.