A former aircraft instrument fitter has to pay Denel Aviation more than R1.8 million for smashing equipment with a hammer in a fit of rage.
Denel Aviation obtained an order in the High Court in Pretoria to deduct R1.84m from William Carrington's pension fund.
If there was not enough money in his fund for the entire amount, the outstanding amount would fall away, ruled Judge Ronel Tolmay.
Carrington smashed the control and display unit and four malfunction display units of a Rooivalk helicopter with a hammer in June 2005.
He said in court papers that he suffered from depression at the time and had wanted to resign.
He asked his boss's secretary for a resignation form, but she refused to give him one and said he should return when he was calmer.
"This angered me even more.... The next morning I was totally raging. I came to work and took out my rage on the instrument panels in the avionics store. I took a hammer and used it to smash the panels."
He pleaded guilty at a disciplinary hearing and a summons was issued against him to pay for the damage.
The sheriff of the court could not find him at his home address to serve the summons.
He was eventually tracked down at a homeless shelter in Kempton Park.
'Ex-Denel worker sued for hammer tantrum'
A former aircraft instrument fitter has to pay Denel Aviation more than R1.8 million for smashing equipment with a hammer in a fit of rage.
Denel Aviation obtained an order in the High Court in Pretoria to deduct R1.84m from William Carrington's pension fund.
If there was not enough money in his fund for the entire amount, the outstanding amount would fall away, ruled Judge Ronel Tolmay.
Carrington smashed the control and display unit and four malfunction display units of a Rooivalk helicopter with a hammer in June 2005.
He said in court papers that he suffered from depression at the time and had wanted to resign.
He asked his boss's secretary for a resignation form, but she refused to give him one and said he should return when he was calmer.
"This angered me even more.... The next morning I was totally raging. I came to work and took out my rage on the instrument panels in the avionics store. I took a hammer and used it to smash the panels."
He pleaded guilty at a disciplinary hearing and a summons was issued against him to pay for the damage.
The sheriff of the court could not find him at his home address to serve the summons.
He was eventually tracked down at a homeless shelter in Kempton Park.
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