Vandal-hit firm took months to recover
Staff at A. & D. House Furnishers were shocked when their store at the Wick Airport Industrial Estate was targeted in April last year.
This week manager Calum Sutherland said he considered the nine months’ detention imposed on 20-year-old Johnny Gardner at Wick Sheriff Court on Monday was “adequate” but he hit out at those who commit such crimes and the lack of respect they have for other people’s property.
Mr Sutherland said that Gardner’s actions had had a detrimental affect on his livelihood.
“The only thing that annoys me about it was that the Crown accepted that he was not acting alone when he broke into the business, yet Gardner is the only person to be sentenced,” he said.
“But getting nine months in detention is an adequate punishment for what he did to us and it is a lot better than getting a slap on the wrists which some offenders get when they appear in court for carrying out crimes of a similar nature.”

The Crown accepted that Gardner was not acting alone when he wreaked havoc on the premises last year.
The damage was discovered by staff from a neighbouring firm. Mr Sutherland was called in later that evening to look at the destruction which had been caused.
He said when he entered the showroom he noticed that all the chairs had been reclined back, suggesting that the vandals had tried them out.
“They stole a chair that was worth over £1000, suites had been ripped with glass, units were smashed and other items had been permanently marked.
“The price doesn’t include the fact that they burst through walls, smashed in windows and knocked doors off their hinges.
“By the time the insurance was sorted out, it took us three months before we were able to get back to normal. We were constantly picking out pieces of glass from carpets and furniture.
“It doesn’t help businesses during a recession when people suffer from mindless acts such as these.”
Suspicion fell on the Gardner when he left his jacket in the canteen area after he and another person helped themselves to food and drink that was available.
A receipt from Tesco, which was in his jacket pocket, was used to help identify him.
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Mr Sutherland hit out at those who don’t care about the effects of their actions.
“It is one of these things which shows that some people have no respect for others,” he said.
“I don’t know what they own in life, but they obviously haven’t got that much if that is the regard they have for other people’s property.
“If they had the ethics to work, buy and struggle like everybody else, maybe they wouldn’t carry out such senseless actions.”
The business has now recovered fully 11 months after the incident and Mr Sutherland said that all the damage has been repaired.