PARANOID and off his medication is what led an "extremely stupid" 39-year-old man to pull down CCTV cameras, a court has heard.
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Aidyn Gould of McIntosh Place, Kelso, pleaded guilty in Bathurst Local Court on February 8 to damaging property.
Dressed in a white jumper, Gould was walking down a footpath on Boyd Street in Kelso about 9.20pm on August 13 last year when he went to the Foodworks building and placed a milk crake on the ground near two cameras, police documents said.
After a few minutes, Gould tore one of the cameras down before moving to the next, and in doing so, faced the camera down towards his shoes which showed one of them in his left hand.
Police said they went to a unit on McIntosh Place on November 18 about 4.30pm and spoke with Gould about the incident when he told police he couldn't remember if he did it. He did, however, assess photos and agree it was 'most likely' him.
The court heard the victim was seeking $1,200.77 in compensation for the cameras to be reinstalled.
During sentencing, Gould's Legal Aid solicitor, Mr Kuan, told the court his client was unmedicated at the time for his mental health issues and was coming down from illicit drugs.
"He got paranoid and did what he did. It was extremely stupid," Mr Kuan said.
Magistrate G Haitt noted no steps had been taken by Gould to pay for the damage, and said a jail term would likely be imposed should he return to court.
"It was a conscious decision on your part," Magistrate Haitt said.
"Stay off the drugs and alcohol, and have respect for other people's property."
Gould was placed on a community correction order for two years and ordered to pay $1,200 in compensation.
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