A MAN has been sentenced for taking part in smashing the windows of nine town centre businesses during a 'rampage'.

Thomas Cottier Quayle Hircock, aged 25, appeared in Weymouth Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 9.

Hircock, of Douglas Road, Weymouth, pleaded guilty to nine counts of criminal damage to the shop windows of nine different businesses on South Street in Dorchester on October 31 last year at a previous hearing.

The businesses on South Street which had their shop glass damaged included Robert Dyas, Jojo Mama Bebe, Procook, WH Smith, Specsavers, Amplifon, Wise Owl Toy Shop, Central Stores and the Spar.

Prosecuting, Nichola Reece, told the court that the offence involved another man, Christopher Barnes, who had already been sentenced for the same offences on April 13 this year .

Read more: Man sentenced for smashing windows of businesses in Weymouth and Dorchester

Ms Reece said at around 1am on October 31 police were called to an address where the men were ‘no longer welcome’ and were escorted and taken to Dorchester train station.

She said police received reports later that night of an attempted break in at the Wise Owl Toy Shop on South Street.

Police arrived and found that several properties were damaged in the area and located a fire extinguisher and traffic cone they believed had been used to cause the damage.

CCTV showed two males committing damage to a number of stores.

Police received another call at around 3am in Dorchester and both Barnes and Hircock were located and arrested on suspicion of criminal damage offences.

Ms Reece said the total damage caused cost more than £7,000.

At an earlier hearing on April 13, when Hircock pleaded guilty, the incident was described as a 'two-man crime wave' and 'rampage'.

Read more: Man goes Dorchester 'rampage' smashing nine shop windows

Mitigating, Simon Lacey, said that Hircock pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and was taking positive steps in the right direction and was planning to go to Kingston Maurward College.

A spokesman speaking on behalf of the probation service said Hircock suffered a number of mental health issues, was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic and had mild learning difficulties. She told the court that as a result Hircock was vulnerable to being influenced negatively by other people.

She said Hircock's alcohol use was not out of control but did say he drank too much.

She added: "I think he is genuinely remorseful."

Chair of the bench, Michael Trevett, said: "This is amongst some of the most serious criminal damage offences we have seen in this court for some time.

"We have reduced your sentence because of your guilty plea. If you had not, there would have been a custodial sentence."

Hircock was given an 18-month community order, must undertake 300 hours of unpaid work and 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

He must also pay a total of £1,260 in compensation which is to be split between the victims proportionately.