A man who caused more than $3000 damage when he used his skateboard to smash an electric car in an Albury car park was drunk on vodka at the time.
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He left the Model S Tesla with a smashed windscreen and side mirror in the attack, which was captured by the car's security cameras.
"It's a particularly ugly offence and he's got a serious criminal history," magistrate Richard Funston said in sentencing the man in Albury Local Court on Tuesday.
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This was the first time the court had tried to deal with Alan John Alfred Wilton's case.
The court heard Wilton, 32, of Eastern Circuit, East Albury, had been convicted in his absence on his first no-show in court.
He also failed to front court for his sentencing, leading to Mr Funston issuing a warrant for his arrest.
Wilton spent Monday night in the Albury police station cells, from where he appeared in court on Tuesday via a video link.
He grinned broadly - and kept smiling - after Mr Funston commented how "anything involving a Tesla would cost money".
Mr Funston said any excuse of being drunk carried little weight for the court.
Wilton interjected to say that he was not trying to hide behind his drinking.
Mr Funston told Wilton his actions represented what amounted to a "very expensive" exercise.
He convicted and fined Wilton $2000 and ordered that he pay compensation of $3388.41 to NRMA insurance.
"If you try anything like this again you'll get locked up next time," Mr Funston said.
"If it was an act of violence, you'd be going straight in today."
The court was told how Wilton, who was carrying the skateboard, was in the Wilson Street car park on February 20 about 4pm when he approached the Tesla.
He walked between the Tesla and another car.
"The accused has raised the skateboard and struck the driver's-side mirror with it and struck windscreen on the driver's side."
The owner, Border resident Jules Boag, returned to his car soon afterwards when his car's security system sent a notification to his mobile phone.
After assessing the damage, he took the footage to the Albury police station.
Defence lawyer Emma Harrison said that while Wilton had been drinking "a lot of vodka", he accepted that was "no excuse for his actions".
