‘Jealous’ Pensioner Caught Keying Neighbour’s £60,000 Lexus

A pensioner has rang the keys of his new neighbour’s £60,000 car after a dispute over a residents’ association.

Keith Ardley, 75, told Marius Crisan, 40, to ‘keep his voice down’ weeks after he moved into his Bournemouth apartment block as he Try to form a group with the locals.

The row between Mr Ardley and Mr Crisan then escalated after the 75-year-old retired council IT worker decided to damage his neighbour’s expensive car last January.

Mr Ardley, who has lived in the flat with his wife Elizabeth for 40 years, was caught on CCTV with his keys making three lines of damage to Mr Crisan’s new car.

Video footage shows Mr Ardley going shopping with his wife when he pulls out the keys and scratches the card.

Mr Chrisanne, 40, noticed the damage the next day and asked the security company operating the CCTV at Wimbledon Hall in Bournemouth, Dorset, to check the footage.

Ardley, who is partially deaf and blind, was charged with causing £1,000 criminal damage to Mr Crisan’s car.

The accused denied the offending and insisted in court that he “never told a lie”.

Mrs Adley testified she had seen the scratch the day before the incident.

Prosecutor Jason Spelman told Poole magistrates the couple’s excuses were “senseless”.

He said: “The defendant used a key to draw three lines on Mr Krissan’s new car.

“We have CCTV and it clearly shows the scoreline where the accused got into the car.

“The defendant stated that he was just running his fingers over the car, looking for the scratches his wife had mentioned the day before.”

As evidence, Adley said: “In just four seconds, I ran my finger over the scratch, but it was only halfway along the car.

“Even so, I couldn’t scratch the car because the keys were in a leather pouch in my hand.

“I never lie, my wife and I always tell the truth.”

Mr Spelman told the pensioner: “You’re telling a big lie now, aren’t you?

“When you walk down the car, how likely are you to spot them immediately?

“In the footage we can see that you don’t really pay attention to the car at all.

“You’re sneaky because you think no one’s looking and you’ll get away with it.

“Are you jealous of Mr. Chrisan driving his expensive car?

“You guys had a very unkind conversation when he was trying to form a residents’ association.

“You told him to ‘keep it low and keep it low’ because he was new on the block.”

A magistrate found Adley guilty after seeing the footage.

Judge Daniel Church told Adley: “I have taken into account your previous good character and have read letters from old colleagues testifying to your integrity.

“However, listening to the evidence given by you and Elizabeth, I find significant inconsistencies.

“The flickering of your keys on the CCTV showed they were not as securely in the leather pouch as you said.

“In your statement to the police you said your wife showed you the scratches on the car as you passed by.

“In the video, she never looks back at you and doesn’t even know you touched the car.

“CCTV doesn’t let you feel the car with your fingertips.

“I am satisfied that you did scratch the car and I do find you guilty of criminal damage.”

Ardley was ordered to pay Mr Crisan £1,000 in damages and £620 in trial costs.

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