A TEENAGER waved a For Sale sign around before damaging seven cars and spitting at a police officer in a drunken rage, a court has heard.Residents in Nacton Road, Ipswich, awoke in the early hours of the morning on February 11 this year to discover Matthaus Thorpe was outside damaging their cars.

A TEENAGER waved a For Sale sign around before damaging seven cars and spitting at a police officer in a drunken rage, a court has heard.

Residents in Nacton Road, Ipswich, awoke in the early hours of the morning on February 11 this year to discover Matthaus Thorpe was outside damaging their cars.

Thorpe, of Fairfield Road, Ipswich, caused more than £750 worth of damage when he ripped off the wing mirrors of the cars parked in the street.

The machine fitter appeared at the South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to seven charges of damaging property, a racially aggravated assault, assault and harassment causing alarm or distress.

The 19-year-old's only excuse was that he had too much to drink.

Stephen Colman, prosecuting, said: “People were in their houses and heard noise outside.

“They went out and saw him damaging one of the cars. They could see there was a line of cars which had their wing mirrors broken off.

“He was swinging a For Sale sign around towards the cars.”

When residents approached Thorpe he shouted abuse at them and when an off-duty policeman tried to restrain him he spat at him.

Thorpe then shouted racist abuse at the owner of a nearby takeaway.

Charles Riddleston, mitigating, said: “On this occasion he got drunk and can't remember what happened.

“He lost his inhibitions.”

David Cooper, district judge, said: “He is a decent working lad who has made a fool out of himself. His mother must be disgusted with him.

“He should cut out the drink and get on with his life.”

Thorpe was given a suspended sentence of 42 days in prison, suspended for one year, made to pay £768.12 in compensation and £70 court costs.

He was also electronically tagged and given a curfew order for four weeks.