UK: Buddhist slashes tyres of 162 cars because 'he was upset he stepped on an insect'

A Buddhist slashed the tyres of 162 cars because he was moved to violence after treading on an insect, a court has heard.

Julian Glew, 45, was living rough in the woods near Pocklington, East Riding, Yorkshire, in September 2015 when the incidents occurred.

Joanne Markham, defending, told Beverley Magistrates that Glew had once lived in a Buddhist monastery, the Yorkshire Post reported.

"It was an insect which appears to have upset him; he was not in a good way and on three evenings he has gone out and randomly slashed tyres" she said, adding that Glew had "some history of mental health issues".

She suggested sessions with the Probation Service would be difficult because he lives "without means in various inaccessible locations".

The court heard that the "Pocklington Piercer" told police that he was venting his frustration on society "without hurting people" at a time "when he was far away from civilisation".

Jailing Glew, who will be under supervision of the Probation Service for a year, for 11 weeks, District Judge Fred Rutherford said the defendant's actions did not seem to fit the profile of a person who had lived in a monastery "in peaceful co-existence".