A vandal who engraved the word ’slag’ into the bodywork of a woman’s car, bent the wing mirror, then slashed all four of her tyres was unmasked by a rogue hand print, Douglas magistrates have been told.

The blue Ford Focus was parked behind the victim’s house at Robert Stephen Close, Douglas, when the attack happened on October 11 last year. But the court heard police found the hand print on the car bodywork and analysis matched it to the defendant, Ben David Moss, of Cambridge Avenue, Litherland, Liverpool.

The court heard he was the boyfriend, at the time, of someone associated with the victim.

For the prosecution, James Robinson said the victim had suspected Moss, but when he was interrogated by police, he denied everything, saying he could not account for the hand print. He said he did not know the victim directly and had probably leant on her car at some time in the past. The cost of repairing the damage to the car was £270, he said, and this was requested in compensation for the owner.

Representing the defendant, Paul Rodgers said his client was a university graduate with a degree in engineering.

’He is 24 years old and in a well-paid job contracting on the oil rigs,’ he said.

’He met his girlfriend while he was on holiday in the Isle of Man and before meeting her he had no previous convictions.

’But it was a toxic and volatile relationship. They have a child and Mr Moss visits the island every few weeks.’

He told the court Moss ’had it in his head’ that the owner of the car had been encouraging his girlfriend to see other men, hence the ill feeling.

For criminal damage, which he admitted, he was fined £600, he must also pay compensation of £270 and costs of £50.