A disgruntled ex-tenant who had been evicted from his flat took revenge by hurling a fire extinguisher through the window of the letting agent’s shop, a court was told.

Wesley John Clarke’s 4am attack on Lowey’s estate agent in Nelson Street did more than £1,100-worth of damage to the window and £78-worth of damage to the fire extinguisher.

James Robinson, for the prosecution, told magistrates the damage was the culmination of an evening’s drinking, and came the day after Clarke was locked out of his rented flat on Christian Road, Douglas, because of rent arrears.

Mr Robinson said the 33-year-old had been up to the flat and tried to get in but failed, so he had taken the fire extinguisher from the property and used it to smash the window.

Clarke, who now lives at Central Promenade in Douglas, was said to owe around £2,000 in back rent at the previous property. He admitted two charges of criminal damage dating from September 2 last year.

Defending him, Kate Alexander said the rent arrears had not been wilful but came about because of a misunderstanding. She said the rent had been paid automatically as a deduction from Clarke’s benefits but this had stopped.

’The arrears were substantial when this came to his attention,’ she said.

’He was told to pay up or get out, but he was not working and was unable to do so. There was no negotiation, the landlord simply changed the locks. There was no court order, no eviction; it was, in effect an unlawful eviction.

’He was in a very difficult position because all his belongings were still in the flat and they still have not been returned to him, despite numerous requests.’

She said Clarke was remorseful and embarrassed to be in court. He was now working, she said, but he had not been at the time of the incident.

Magistrates’ chairman Gill Eaton fined him £100 for each criminal damage offence, he must pay full compensation for the window but not the fire extinguisher, and no costs order was made. He was banned from on-licensed premises for three months.