A man damaged a police car because he panicked over being detained.
Ian McHugh, of Copley Avenue in Meltham, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.
He pleaded guilty to charges of criminal damage and possession of a class B drug.
The court heard that the paranoid schizophrenic, who has a fear of taking public transport, became upset after suffering from claustrophobia.
Prosecutor Bill Astin said that police were called to an address in Liversedge on November 11 following reports of an ongoing domestic incident.
They arrived to find a female and HcHugh, who was accused of taking her flat keys from her.
He told them he needed his medication and the officers went to retrieve it from the property, asking him to wait in the police car.
Mr Astin said: “He began to shout out and was told to calm down but he kicked at the rear passenger window.”
Cannabis was found on the 45-year-old upon his arrest, which he said was for his own personal use.
Mike Sisson-Pell, mitigating, explained that as a child his client was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and suffered from various other mental health problems.
He had largely kept out of trouble until police were called to the incident not of his making.
Mr Sisson-Pell said: “The officers decided to detain him and he was trying to tell them that he was claustrophobic and panicked.
“Having been detained and put in the car he’s kicked the window and caused damage.
“He accepts he shouldn’t have done this but panicked due to his mental health difficulties.”
The court heard that McHugh takes cannabis to calm himself down and sometimes as an alternative to his dizapam medication which knocks him out.
Mr Sisson-Pell added that McHugh is unable to use public transport because of his phobias and spends a large proportion of his income on taxis.
District Judge Michael Fanning told him: “Cannabis is particularly bad for someone with your disabilities.
“I understand you are unwell and it must have been difficult to be sat in the police vehicle but police were trying to do their best .
“You can’t kick out and if you behave in this way you will eventually be punished – you need to learn that this sort of misbehaviour is expensive.”
McHugh was ordered to pay £50 compensation to West Yorkshire Police as well as £85 costs, £85 fine and £30 victim surcharge.
