Officers caught a man responsible for smashing up car windows in Newark within minutes of the call coming in.
Police attended Trinity Road after receiving reports a weapon-carrier was running down the road damaging vehicles.
That initial call was received around 8.30pm on Friday (1 August), with officers arriving minutes later to find a trail of damage.
Nine vehicles parked up along Trinity Road were seen to have had their windows smashed in – all at the hands of Edward Dolan.
The 36-year-old was found hiding in a nearby garden around the same time, as was the object he’d been carrying, which turned out to be a trowel.
Dolan was quickly detained at the scene by police, at which point he decided to spit at one of the officers in attendance.
He would go on to be charged with nine separate counts of criminal damage and one count of assaulting an emergency worker.
Dolan, of London Road, Newark, pleaded guilty to each count during an appearance at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday (4 August).
He was subsequently remanded into custody, ahead of his sentencing hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on 22 August.
Detective Sergeant Clint Gloyn, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Edward Dolan left a trail of damage in his wake when he decided to use a tool he was carrying to smash car windows.
“Nine cars had their windows put through in total, with each of the owners left feeling – quite understandably – upset.
“While the initial reports of someone carrying a knife thankfully turned out to be wide of the mark, this incident would’ve caused a great deal of concern to residents.
“We hope the speed with which our policing teams responded to this, found the culprit and then put him before the courts, provides everyone with a bit of reassurance.”
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