A Warwick woman who keyed a man’s car after spotting him with another lady has been given an absolute discharge in Magistrates’ Court.

Nelia Dill, 48, admitted damaging Michael Thomas’s silver Mercedes on July 22 after he had parked it at 7.30am in the Bermuda Police Service headquarters in Devonshire. Following the incident, Mr Thomas recognised the defendant leaving the scene in a dark-coloured vehicle as he walked past the parking lot,

He then spotted a long scratch along the driver and passenger doors of his car, with the damage later estimated to be $500.

After the complainant reported the matter, Dill attended Hamilton Police Station, where she admitted scratching the vehicle with a key.

She added that she had seen Mr Thomas with another woman the night before, and that her emotions had boiled over. In Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning, Dill said that she had apologised to Mr Thomas the day after the act and had already paid in full for the damage to be repaired.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo opted not to punish the defendant — taking into account Dill’s lack of previous convictions, her guilty plea, her expression of remorse and the fact that she had already compensated the complainant.

“Don’t let it happen again,” he added.

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