A JILTED lover caused damage valued at �9,180 to his boyfriend’s Porsche Boxster in a “tantrum,” a court has heard.

Steven Alderton, 32, admitted damaging the �41,000 car in a rage after he discovered his boyfriend had left him.

Alderton, of Victoria Close, Thurston, was staying in living quarters at the Plough and Fleece pub in Cockfield with his partner, David Higham, who ran the premises, Bury St Edmunds Magistrates’ Court was told.

Alderton admitted two counts of criminal damage, including causing an additional �2,820 damage to property after he believed his boyfriend had left him.

District Judge David Cooper said: “He was having a tantrum. The whole house looks like it’s been totally ransacked. It was a jealous rage by the sound of it.”

Lyndon Davies, mitigating, said Mr Higham had recently separated from his civil partner, Jonathan Edge.

Mr Higham was living with Alderton on the premises while his divorce was being processed.

“On that night, the pub was open and one of the employees approached Mr Alderton about there being not much money in the till, “ Mr Davies said.

“He then discovered Mr Higham had taken some money from the safe and left a note saying I can’t cope with the divorce and I’m leaving.”

Mr Davies said Alderton had started drinking after Mr Higham did not answer 50 of his phone calls.

“He lost the plot and started smashing everything up because he believed David Higham had left, isn’t coming back and their relationship has ended,” Mr Davies said.

The court heard Alderton called police himself after the incident in a distressed state.

“You seem to be making an appalling mess of your private life,” the district judge said.

Alderton was handed a 12-month conditional discharge with a supervision requirement for each offence and was ordered to pay �85 costs. No compensation was awarded for the damage caused.