A MAN scratched the word “nonce” into an innocent victim’s car and slashed his tyres after falsely believing he was a paedophile and child killer.

Jason Richards, 44, from Newport persecuted his target and caused £4,700 worth of damage to his Mercedes following the attack in the Bettws area of the city.

The defendant is a paranoid schizophrenic and has a history of hounding the complainant and of breaching a restraining order to protect him.

At an earlier hearing, Matthew Comer, prosecuting, revealed: “The victim noticed on the morning of Sunday, June 25 that all the tyres of his white Mercedes were flat.

“They had stab marks on all of them which caused them to deflate.

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“The word ‘nonce’ was scratched on the boot of the vehicle and on the passenger door side the words ‘child killer’ were also scratched.

South Wales Argus:

Richards had slashed the Mercedes car's tyres. Picture: CPS Wales

“There is CCTV of the incident and the victim looked at the CCTV and he believed it to be Jason Richards committing the damage.

“He described having a number of issues with Mr Richards over the past few years.

“In particular, in a statement, he suggests that Mr Richards had been writing graffiti about him in various locations around the Newport area.”

The defendant, of Ombersley Road, pleaded guilty to being in breach of a restraining order and criminal damage.

Thomas Stanway representing Richards said: “The psychotic symptoms that he suffers from concern the victim and the defendant does not know why.

“He hears that his son is screaming and that the victim is going to kill him and that he sexually assaulted him.

“The defendant can't give any real reason why his symptoms are focused upon him.”

There was "no substance to his imaginings" about the victim, the court was told.

Richards had already served the equivalent of an eight-month prison sentence after being remanded in custody following his arrest.

At Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Richard Kember jailed the defendant for 10 months but suspended the sentence for two years.

Richards was made the subject of three-month curfew between 10pm and 7am and a mental health supervision requirement.

He must pay £345 in compensation, £420 costs and a surcharge.