A man twice smashed the windows of a minibus parked outside Glenrothes Boxing Club because he claims he was stripped, beaten and locked inside the gym for two days.
Gavin Simm appeared from custody at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, where he pled guilty to two charges of vandalism.
Simm, 29, admitted that he used a claw hammer to smash the windows of the Ford Transit minibus, causing around £2,000 worth of damage.
His solicitor David Bell said he had a historical grudge and acted upon it during a period of poor mental health.
Twice Simm was caught on CCTV smashing the windows.
The club’s manager was able to identify him to police after inspecting the footage.
Between 2.20am and 2.40am on April 8, he smashed the rear and side windows of the vehicle, which was parked outside the Melvich Place club.
He returned on the night of April 25 to smash the windscreen and side windows in the same way.
When officers visited Simm’s home in Canmore Road in Glenrothes, they found the claw hammer.
Grudge
Mr Bell said: “A number of years ago, when he was a younger man, it seems that he was at some stage taken to the gym, where he was effectively kept.
“It sounds like a hostage situation for two days, when he was abused and assaulted.
“He didn’t report that to police.”
Mr Bell said the alleged incident happened in relation to a “misdemeanour” of Simm’s and that he “felt extremely bitter.”
“From time to time, this seems to fester,” he said.
Nobody has ever been prosecuted in relation to this alleged incident.
Sheriff Alison McKay jailed Simm for two months in relation to the vandalism, along with a further nine months for breaching a drug treatment and testing order.
Previous convictions
In 2018, Simm was remanded in custody after admitting stealing perfume from Dunfermline’s branch of Debenhams.
A year before, he was banned from entering the Fife town after he went on a drunken rant outside the Tesco supermarket in the town centre.
Sheriff McKay explained Simm should have left his concerns with the authorities to deal with.
She said: “The vandalism is completely new offending, not related to your difficulties with drugs.
“The police are there for a reason.”
The Courier contacted Glenrothes Boxing Club for comment.
