Law Humor

A British man who attacked a car with an axe and then set fire to it blamed his brain for the incident, according to a January 27 report in the Herald Express.

The brain's alleged involvement was especially surprising because the man had attacked his own car.

According to prosecutors, the man and his girlfriend had parked the car in a downtown area in order to go for a drink, and when they returned they found the wheel had been clamped due to unpaid parking tickets. (I'm assuming that's what "penalty charge notices" translates to. Whatever you call them, there were almost two dozen outstanding.) This can make anyone frustrated and angry, but this man did the sensible thing by getting an axe out of his car and chopping away at the clamp. After flailing at it for a while unsuccessfully, he then set his car on fire.

Unsurprisingly, his girlfriend left at some point during the rampage.

The Culprit

At his sentencing hearing this week, the man told a judge that he had been in a drunken rage at the time (although he did tell his girlfriend later that it was "fun" to see the firemen show up and put out the fire). He sort of took responsibility for the incident, telling the judge, "My brain ended up being an idiot."

Stupid brain! Always getting me into trouble!

Judge Paul Darlow sentenced the man to three years' probation, although given the brain's responsibility that seems like a case of guilt by association.