19-year-old petrol bombed his neighbour's vehicle following row

Dundee Sheriff Court: John Duncan was jailed for making explosives.

A teenager who petrol bombed his neighbour's car after a row has been jailed.

John Duncan, 19, lost his temper after becoming involved in a dispute between his brother and neighbour Alan McDonald, in Dundee's Beauly Avenue.

On October 23 last year Duncan took a golf club and smashed the windows in of Mr McDonald's Vauxhall Astra car.

The following night Duncan and a gang of friends, some aged just 14, set light to the car using bombs described in court as homemade "Molotov cocktails".

Two young teenagers doused the car in petrol before the petrol bomb made by Duncan was hurled at the car, starting a blaze.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard Duncan later described the attack as "fun and games" on Facebook.

Fiscal depute Emma Stewart said: "On October 23 Mr McDonald heard a disturbance outside his home and saw a number of youths. Around 10.10pm he heard glass breaking in the street and on looking out saw a group including the accused running away.

"All the windows had been smashed and he contacted the police. It became evident that the accused had vandalised Mr McDonald's car by repeatedly striking it with a golf club. The following day at around 6.55pm Mr McDonald again heard glass breaking outside his home address. He went to an upstairs window and saw his damaged car was on fire.

"He saw two boys aged about 14 and 15 years old carrying a green petrol container. The youth carrying the petrol container approached the vehicle and poured petrol into the boot through one of the broken windows before passing it to the younger boy who poured it into the back seat.

"The vehicle was immediately engulfed in flames and the two boys ran off. Emergency services were contacted and a fire crew attended to extinguish the fire."

The car, which was valued at £600, was completely destroyed in the fire.

Duncan pleaded guilty on indictment to two charges of vandalism and making an explosive substance, namely a petrol bomb, with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.

Kris Gilmartin, defending, said: "He was responsible for assisting in making a petrol bomb, he knew what was going to happen to the Astra.The first event was the owner of the Astra smashing the window of the property his brother lived in. He decided to exact revenge by smashing the windows in of the car."

Sheriff George Way told Duncan he had no option but to send him to jail and handed him a 13-month sentence.

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