A drunk man ordered a couple he didn’t know to ‘let him in’ to their house before smashing their window with a plant pot. Warren Wonta, 39, had been walking home from a night out when he walked up to the house in Worsley and banged on the front door.
When the homeowner told him to calm down, Wonta smashed the window by punching it before picking up a plant pot from outside the front door and smashing their bay window, resulting in over £4,000 worth of damage.
He then smashed it over the couple’s car, Manchester Crown Court heard. Wonta, of Salford, later told police he had tried to get help after believing people were going to ‘get him’.
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Prosecuting, Brian Berlyne said that at around 10.45pm on February 22 2020, the couple were relaxing at home on Woodstock Drive when they saw Wonta at the front door. Neither of them knew him.
He began to bang on the door shouting ‘let me in’ before he was asked to calm down. He then punched the window causing it to smash and the police were called.
“Mr Wonta picked up a plant pot from near the front door and used it to smash the bay window. The couple were in fear he would force his way into their home and assault them,” Mr Berlyne said.
“He then used the plant pot to strike her vehicle, hitting the bonnet and windscreen. It was repeated by the homeowner for him to calm down and he told him to go away.”
Wonta began shouting at him, stating: “Come on, call the police,” at which point the woman ran upstairs and locked herself in the bedroom as she was so frightened.
The police later arrived and arrested Wonta nearby. He was ‘very intoxicated’, he was swaying and his speech was slurred.
In a police interview he admitted he had drunk too much and said he was walking home when he heard a person say ‘get him’.
“He said he ran towards the nearest house, looked through the window and saw a male who told him to leave,” Mr Berlyne said. “He realised nobody was helping him so he picked up a plant pot and smashed the windows and used a piece [of glass] to protect himself from people he thought were pursuing him.”
The total damage caused to the car was £1,345, and the total amount of damage caused to the windows was worth £4,363, which had to be replaced. The couple were insured, but had to pay an excess of £800.
In a victim personal statement, the woman said she was left feeling afraid and feared for her life. “I thought the male was coming into my house to attack my husband and me,” she said.
Her husband described the incident as ‘extreme and unusual’, and added: “This incident made me feel very frightened for my own and my wife’s safety.”
Wonta was said to have a number of previous convictions dating back to over 10 years ago.
“This was a rather odd offence,” defence counsel Richard Brigden said. “By his own admission, cocaine played a part in this offence, which may explain the oddities.”
He said there had ‘clearly been a trigger’ but he did not target the couple. Mr Brigden added that he was remorseful and ‘deeply ashamed’ and has been saving up to pay compensation.
Sentencing, Recorder Cox said: “Understandably, they were minding their own business and not expecting you to arrive. I can understand the fear they must have felt when they were confronted by you, out of control through the combination of alcohol and drugs.
“You behaved in a completely chaotic way. However, this incident was a one off, caused by too much alcohol and the consumption of cocaine - you do not present a risk to the public generally.”
Wonta, of Carina Place, admitted affray and criminal damage and was handed six months imprisonment which was suspended for 12 months; 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and 100 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £800 compensation and £535 court costs.
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