£20,000 hammer rampage

Tesco Greenfield entrance boarded up after the attack

Drunk smashes store windows in wrecking spree

A DRUNKEN man caused up to £20,000 of damage after going on a wrecking rampage with a hammer in Greenfield.

Callum Nield (21) embarked upon an all-night drinking binge before smashing the windows of the Tesco store in Chew Valley Road at around 7.30am on Sunday.

Appearing at Oldham Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Nield, of Queensway, Greenfield, pleaded guilty to a criminal damage charge.

Prosecutor Claire Ludlam told how he had spent Saturday night with friends drinking at the Commercial and Granby Arms pubs in Uppermill.

After drinking about seven pints of Stella, he then went home and carried on drinking more bottles of lager and a bottle of wine.

Nield, who was said to be suffering with anger issues, was spotted by an assistant at the store carrying a holdall, a hammer and a pint glass.

He shouted to the worker that he was going to go to prison and that he was going to smash all the windows.

Nield then went on a frenzied wrecking spree, shattering large panes of glass as staff called the police.

He also attempted to damage signs outside the store, while shouting to police, “It’s me you want, I want to go back to prison.”

A manager estimated the windows would cost up to £20,000 to replace.

Police officers said he wanted to return to jail and threatened to spit and bite them if the offence alone wasn’t enough to warrant a stay in custody.

He then asked an officer: “Is this where we get to fight?” after being locked in the cells at Chadderton police station.

Justine Whitworth, defending, said the attack was a “cry for help” and was fuelled by a huge amount of drink. She said Nield had not been feeling himself at the time and had difficulties controlling his emotions.

Although he remembered leaving the house with the hammer, he could not recall why he had attacked the store.

He had been seen by a psychiatric nurse to address his anger issues.

Nield was given conditional bail and will next appear at Manchester Crown Court, Minshull Street, on May 24 for sentencing.