Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
This is the moment an entrepreneur begins whacking a brand-new Ferrari sports car worth over 340,000 GBP with a sledgehammer to get the dealership owner’s attention for his new spicy food project.
The suspect, surnamed Guo, stunned investigators when he claimed he was only trying to get the owner’s attention and wanted to get him to invest in his spicy food business.
Video Credit: AsiaWire
The incident happened in the city of Changsha, capital of Hunan Province in Central China, on 6th August and video has now emerged allegedly of Guo, 26, causing more than 500,000 RMB (56,900 GBP) worth of damage to the Ferrari Portofino, which has led to a vandalism charge.
In the footage, he can be seen swinging the sledgehammer at the bonnet of the parked Ferrari in front of shocked dealership staff members.
He whacks the supercar’s windscreen and then walks to the side of the car before smashing its passenger-side door and window.
According to the Changsha Tianxin People’s Procuratorate, which has charged Guo with deliberate destruction of private property, the back of the vehicle – including its fuel cap – was damaged too.
The clip ends with the dealership’s employees disarming Guo and leading him into the nearby office to speak to him, while others called the police.
Changsha Tianxin District Prosecutor Zhang Zhisong said: “The suspect told the police he smashed the Ferrari after he discovered a niche in the spicy foods market in his hometown.
“He needed 4 million RMB (455,190 GBP) in capital to start the business, but he had neither the money to invest in it, nor the assets to acquire a loan from the bank.
“He discovered the dealership – the only one that sells Ferraris in Hunan – and decided to vandalise one of its vehicles in order to get the attention of the owner.
“His plan was to then speak to the owner and pitch his business model in the hope of receiving funding from him.
“He bought the sledgehammer in a nearby hardware shop before entering the car dealership.”
Guo reportedly told investigators: “I wasn’t able to reach the owner of the dealership, so I had no other choice but to hit the Ferrari in order to get his attention.”
The Ferrari Portofino is understood to have been fully insured, but it is still unclear whether Guo will be made to cover the cost of repairs.
A date for his trial has yet to announced.
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