Man sprayed paint stripper on 151 cars

An irate man has been ordered to pay half a million dollars in damages after a car vandalism rampage. Photo / Thinkstock

A Perth magistrate has urged a senior public servant who sprayed paint stripper on 151 luxury cars to sell his house to pay nearly A$400,000 ($515,000) in restitution.

Gilles Gaudet, 46, pleaded guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court on Monday to 151 counts of wilfully and unlawfully damaging motor vehicles.

The court heard he carried out the offences between December 2010 and October 2011, using a syringe to spray paint stripper onto vehicles in driveways and carparks.

The cars were mainly luxury models including BMWs, Mercedes-Benz, Audis and Alfa Romeos.

Gaudet was team leader for policy and legislation with Western Australia's Department of Corrective Services and the court heard he may lose his job because of his offending.

His lawyer, Seamus Rafferty, said his client was extremely remorseful for his actions, which were triggered by a combination of mental health problems including obsessive compulsive, depressive, anxiety and personality disorders.

He said Gaudet had not targeted luxury cars due to any feeling of resentment towards their wealthy owners, as suggested by police.

"It was not a situation of someone having an axe to grind in terms of society."

Mr Rafferty said Gaudet had targeted such cars because of their neatness and cleanliness.

He said his client had acted on a completely irrational notion that damaging the cars would take them off the road and therefore reduce the risk that his father would be killed in a car accident.

He said Gaudet was otherwise of exemplary character.

The court was told damage to the vehicles totalled just under $399,000.

Mr Rafferty said his client was continuing psychiatric treatment, was willing to pay restitution and should not face the prospect of jail for his offending.

The police prosecutor said the state would not demand a prison sentence but a suspended sentence and restitution were sought.

When questioned by magistrate Richard Bayley about Gaudet's ability to pay full restitution, Mr Rafferty said his client had a $450,000 house on which he owed $50,000.

The magistrate adjourned sentencing until May 11 for a pre-sentence report and to give Gaudet time to take steps to come up with the restitution money by arranging to sell his house.

- AAP