TWO vandals who trashed and wrote off a £16,000 camper van in a drunken rage face nine months in jail unless they behave themselves for the next 12 months, a judge warned.

Matthew Stone, who is also known as Matthew Ledger, and Daniel Caple may also be sued by the van's insurers for all the money the company paid out to the van's owner, York Crown Court heard.

Stone used ladders to smash the mobile home's windows and when police community support officers tried to intervene, he warned: "Come near me and I will ....... kill you," said Michael Cahill, prosecuting. 

Stone challenged one PCSO to a fight before saying of the van's owner "He deserved that, he had it coming" and breaking down in tears.

Caple joined in the attack on the van which left it with every window and panel put through and so badly damaged, the insurance company wrote it off. Both men had been drinking and were arrested at the scene.

The van had been the owner's home and he had left it parked on Ridgeway, Acomb, near his mother's home, said Mr Cahill.

She alerted him to the attack and he alerted the police.

Stone, 24, now of Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, and Caple, 27, formerly of York and now of Leeds, both admitted criminal damage. Stone also admitted a public order offence.

They were both given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months on condition they do 100 hours' unpaid work. They must also pay £200 compensation each to the van's owner for the insurance excess he had to pay.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, said if they reoffended in the next year, they could be made to serve the sentence, and the insurance company could sue them to recoup its losses.

Both have 15 previous convictions and Stone had served a 26-week prison sentence since the vandalism.

Mark Partridge for Caple said he had reduced his drinking and cut his links with the friends he used to binge drink with. He had also moved out of the area, first to Bridlington and then to Leeds.

Alex Menary for Stone said he had given up drinking altogether.

The defendants made allegations about the camper van's owner which Mr Cahill said had been investigated by the police, who had decided not to take further action.