No jail for jealous builder who destroyed cricketer's home

A builder who smashed up the home of a star cricketer he believed was having an affair with his wife has escaped jail.

John Matthews, 50, of Crowlas, Penzance, caused about £9,000 damage to the Taunton home of Somerset cricketer Neil Edwards who was playing in South Africa at the time.

Believing Edwards was seeing his wife, Matthews sawed a bed in half, cut up curtains, poured expanding foam down toilets and a bath and poured creosote over furniture.

Before leaving he pinned a note to the opening batsman’s door saying the attack was “phase one” and he would meet up with him for “phase two”.

He pleaded guilty to criminal damage in the Taunton Magistrate’s Court and has been given a 12-month community order and sentenced to 120-hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay Edwards £150, a further £4,800 to his insurance company and £60 in costs.

In a police interview read to the court and reported by the Mail Online, Mr Matthews said: “Edwards had been having an affair with my wife and I tried to put an end to it.

“I still had a door key from when I carried all the work out there and I decided to undo all the work I had done.”