A car breakdown enraged a Wanaka man so much at the weekend he torched it rather than have to pay for its repair, police say.
"His car broke down so he got disgruntled with it and smashed it up and set it on fire," Constable Peter Reed said.
The Wanaka man (20) landed himself in even deeper trouble when he told police the next day someone else had set his car alight.
The man, who had been dealt with for making a false statement, would have to pay a council clean-up charge, and fee to the fire service.
• Police also attended a car accident in Cardrona Valley Rd on Saturday, in which a 17-year-old driver hit black ice and rolled the vehicle. She and her passenger were treated for injuries at Wanaka's medical centre.
