Police: Newbury man vandalized ex-girlfriend's car
Jul. 23—ROWLEY — A Newbury man who admitted Thursday that a jury could find him guilty of carving the finish of his ex-girlfriend's car with a knife was ordered by a judge to stay away from her and pay $500 in restitution.
James F. Campbell, 60, of Newburyport Turnpike was charged with vandalizing property in April. During Campbell's appearance in Newburyport District Court on Thursday, his attorney, Paul Prisby, told Judge Peter Doyle that his client was "regretful" and "sorry."
Doyle continued the charge without a finding for nine months. If Campbell stays out of trouble with the law during that time, follows the court-imposed conditions and abides by a restraining order, the charge against him would be dropped.
In addition to vandalizing his ex-girlfriend's car with a knife, Campbell used the knife to rip apart photos she had given him and then left them on the car, according to court documents.
Essex County prosecutor Shalaigh Kennedy described those acts and others as "very bizarre behavior" that traumatized the woman.
The woman went to the Rowley police station April 17 after noticing damage to her Toyota Camry and told officers her ex-boyfriend had "keyed her car," Officer Lucas Tubbs wrote in his report.
The woman also found several notes and damaged photographs. On one of the notes, Campbell threatened to make the woman pay for her choices. Another note featured a threat against where she works, according to Tubbs' report.
As the woman was filling out an abuse prevention form, Tubbs ran a check of Campbell's car and learned it was parked at his wife's North Reading home.
North Reading police were responding to the home after receiving a complaint about a suspicious vehicle. Tubbs then faxed the completed abuse prevention order form to North Reading police, who served Campbell.
"I attempted to contact Campbell in regards to the damage on (the woman's) vehicle but Campbell did not answer and his voicemail was full," Tubbs wrote in his report.
Tubbs then filed a criminal complaint against Campbell, according to court documents.
