B.C. man sued for injuring man, destroying car for idling loudly
A B.C. man’s temper cost him more than $75,000 after he injured a man and damaged his vehicle because the man was idling his car too loudly near his home.
Ole Marvin Hansen was woken up between 4:30 and 5 a.m. Jan. 22, 2018, to the sound of a revving engine, according to a B.C. Supreme Court decision. He got dressed, grabbed a piece of wood, went outside and shattered the taillights, windshield and rear window of the offending vehicle, denting the window frames as well. Then he struck the driver’s side window, shattering it and hitting the driver’s arm.
Clayton Giesbrecht said he was simply trying to warm up his vehicle outside of Castaways Store in Tofino, so was revving his engine.
Giesbrecht went to hospital after the incident covered in glass and abrasions and said his wrist and elbow have been in pain since the incident.
Giesbrecht, a surfer who fixed bikes for people in Tofino, also faced further harassment. He alleged Hansen drove in front of his shop and waved at him after the incident, which Justice Catherine Murray said Hansen was to intimidate him. Giesbrecht, fearing for his safety, was moved out of Tofino by the Crime Victim Assistance Act.
Giesbrecht sued and was awarded $75,800 in damages. He was denied past and future earnings because the injury wasn’t so severe that he couldn’t work.
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