A WOODFALLS man was hit with an 18-month custodial sentence this week, for his part in a rampage of destruction and vandalism through Downton, Redlynch, Hale, and a number of other villages.

Last year, the Journal reported how Simon Ling, 19, of Trinnys Close, and a 14-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, fired a hand-held airgun at parked cars as they drove from New Milton to Redlynch in the early hours of Sunday, September 24.

The shooting spree resulted in more than 80 reports of criminal damage from people in New Milton, Fordingbridge, Ringwood, Hale, Woodfalls, Downton, and Redlynch, with the cost of the damages estimated at more than £9,000.

After pleading guilty to being in possession of a firearm and 11 counts of criminal damage, and asking for a further 46 cases of criminal damage to be taken into account, Ling and his accomplice came before Salisbury Crown Court for sentencing on Monday. Prosecutor, Nigel Mitchell, told the court Ling owned a gas-powered, semi-automatic 15-shot airgun, which fired 4.5mm metal pellets. He kept the weapon in his car.

The court then heard how Ling drove his car home from a party in New Milton while his young accomplice, who had been drinking beer and vodka since the previous afternoon, fired the gun from the car window at parked vehicles. Sentencing them, Judge Keith Cutler, said: "I, along with everyone else in this court, have listened with absolute horror at the prosecution's description of your behaviour.

"The idea two men, one the worse for drink, could drive through villages while firing a gun is just an appalling picture.

"I must regard these actions with the utmost seriousness, and it was extremely fortunate no-one was injured."

Despite not firing the gun himself, Ling was deemed to be the older and more responsible party, and Judge Cutler sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment for possessing a firearm while committing an offence, with concurrent three-month sentences for each of the 11 counts of criminal damage. On top of this custodial sentence, Ling was also punished with a fine of £500, and had his airguns and car confiscated.

Judge Cutler told Ling: "You are older, you were sober, and you should have known better. You were more culpable and even though you did not pull the trigger, you should have put a stop to this."

Ling's young accomplice was punished with a two-year supervision order, which includes community work and liaising with young offenders' officials, and a three-month curfew, keeping him inside his house every night from 8pm to 6am.

Addressing the youth, Judge Cutler said: "You had your finger on the trigger and you could easily be following your friend into custody.

"But your age, the fact you were the worse for drink, and the fact Simon Ling should have stopped you, mean I am not going to do this.

"The references from your school show an improvement in your behaviour since this incident, and I want that to continue and believe this is the best way to deal with a young offender."