Ward pleads guilty to burning car

Admitting his attempt to burn his neighbor?s car was not the smartest act of his life, a local man and his wife entered guilty pleas last week for his drunken act of vandalism and her intentional hiding of her husband from police.

?It was the dumbest thing I ever did,? said Christopher Ward when asked why he attempted to burn his neighbor?s car following an altercation between the two. ?I don?t know why I did it.?

Mr. Ward entered guilty pleas before General Sessions Judge Larry Ross to charges of burning personal property and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was ordered to serve 60 days of an 11-month, 29-day sentence and make $300 restitution for a bucket seat which was damaged inside the victim?s car.

Mrs. Ward was given a six-month probationary sentence and must perform 32 hours public service work for interfering with the service of process.

The incident happened after Mr. Ward ran into a fire hydrant near his home and asked his neighbor to help pull his vehicle off of the hydrant. When the neighbor declined, a fist fight ensued ? a fight lost by Ward who then retreated into a nearby wooded area.

It was minutes later a witness saw Ward come out of the woods and throw a flaming rag into his neighbor?s vehicle. The fire was quickly put out to limit the damage to a bucket seat. Ward was then seen running into his house, but his wife denied he was hiding inside when lawmen arrived. He was found taking refuge in his house a short time later, resulting in charges against him and his wife.

Mrs. Ward, although with her husband at the time of the wreck, said she was not aware her husband had come back and thrown the flaming rag into their neighbor?s vehicle. She maintained he has been having issues.

?He?s sick,? Mrs. Ward said in defending her husband.

However, Judge Ross blasted Mr. Ward, saying his actions were reckless and inexcusable.

?That was completely asinine, you know that,? Ross said in passing judgment. ?You are lucky someone wasn?t looking out the window with a 30/30 and saw you do what you did. If they had, you might not be here today.?