A gang of Dundee teenagers repeatedly switched street lights off and on “for fun” after one of them broke into two electricity boxes, a court has heard.
John Duncan even returned to the scene to switch one of the boxes back on after his mother phoned him to complain that her internet connection was broken.
Duncan and around 15 other teenagers left live wires exposed and caused more than £1,250 of damage after plunging the street into darkness in the Kirkton area of the city last May.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie said residents saw a number of teenagers hanging around and recognised Duncan, who was kicking an electricity box.
Police were called after some houses lost power and the street’s internet connections stopped working.
Ms Gillespie said: “The accused returned with a metal bar and socket set and prised open the box in Beauly Square.
“He was seen bending down switching off the street lights. They were taking turns to switch the street lights off and on. The teenagers ran off leaving the area in darkness.”
Ms Gillespie said the total damage caused was £1,257.
Duncan told police he was “there with other people” and that his mother had phoned to say she had no internet so he went to the box and “switched it back on again.”
Scott Norrie, defending, said Duncan was one of around 15 teenagers there at the time and had received “encouragement from other sources.”
He said: “One of the boxes was open and they thought it would be fun to switch the lights off and on.”
Sheriff George Way interrupted: “Maybe if they were 11 or 12, but Mr Duncan was almost 20.”
Mr Norrie replied: “Mr Duncan’s height is in no way related to his maturity.”
Duncan, 20, of Beauly Crescent, admitted that while acting with others he culpably and recklessly forced open electricity distribution boxes and damaged the circuit board and components, interfered with the power supply and left the components exposed to the danger of the public in Beauly Avenue and Beauly Square on May 8 last year.
Sheriff George Way deferred sentence until April 22 and remanded him in custody.