A 20-year-old Douglas man has been fined £125 and bound over to keep the peace for six months after admitting taking his then girlfriend’s bank card, withdrawing money from it, and then throwing it down the drain.

Michael Kaighin, of Fairfield Terrace, admitted offences of theft of a bank card and damaging property and was fined when he appeared before the magistrates’ court last week.

A third offence of common assault on a female was withdrawn after Kaighin agreed to accept the binding order.

Prosecutor James Robinson told the court how, on October 22, Kaighin was involved in an altercation with his then girlfriend at his Fairfield Terrace address.

He had taken the woman’s bank card during the row and went inside his house.

She walked off but then heard him running up behind her. The row continued and Kaighin threw the bank card down a drain.

After being arrested Kaighin opened up a cut on his finger and smeared a police cell with his blood.

He was charged with theft and property damage.

Defence advocate Paul Glover said of the bank card incident: ’Mr Kaighin and the woman were in a relationship. He saw a text message and believed she was cheating on him.

’He doesn’t have a bank account of his own, he relies on loans from his family.

’He took her bank card and withdrew £30 as his family put money in the account for him.

’He went to return it but the altercation continued and he put the card down the drain.’

The advocate continued: ’It is something he accepts he shouldn’t have done.

’The following day he was arrested and put in a cell.

’He had a cut on his finger and accepts he shouldn’t have put the blood in the cell, it was highly inappropriate.

’He assures me this is the last time he will be before the court.’

He was fined £125 for the property damage offence with no separate penalty made for the theft offence.