Sittard –
A Limburg auto mechanic was shot on the spot for vandalizing cars. CCTV footage revealed the man.
The mechanic tried to win his case in court on appeal, but the judge was tough. In addition to the compensation previously imposed of 6000 euros, he has to pay the costs of another 3000 euros.
car defects
The mechanic was fired on the spot after several unexplained defects were found in the cars after maintenance in the garage. Some cars suddenly leaked oil, and it turned out that in one car the software update had been tampered with and the power steering cable had broken in another.
Camera images showed the mechanic was doing something under a car that was waiting outside to be picked up. Later, a puddle of oil and a sump stopper, the cap of the oil tank, were found in the right place.
The judge found a mechanic guilty
The mechanic initially denied that he was near the vehicle in question. In the face of the CCTV footage, he didn’t have a good explanation of what he was doing there. Then he was expelled.
The mechanic claimed he was innocent, and went to court and demanded severance payments of €28,000. However, the district judge found the photos convincing and ordered the mechanic to pay €6,000 to reimburse his boss’ wages, compensation and legal costs.
Additional cost
On appeal, the judge also found the mechanic guilty. On top of the 6000 compensation, he has to pay another 772 euros in court fees and 2,228 euros in attorney fees from the other party.
