There are a number of offences that deal with the destruction of property under the Crimes Act (NSW), most commonly a charge of intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging property is malicious damage of property.
Common examples of malicious damage to property include:
Damaging an ex-partner’s car
Spray painting or graffiti
Wiping a computer hard-drive of important information
Breaking into a house and damaging the house in the process
Penalties are determined upon the value of the property damaged. If the value of the property does not exceed $2,000, the maximum penalty that can be imposed by the Local Court is a fine of $2,200 and/or 2 years imprisonment.
If the value of the property is between $2,000-$5,000, the maximum penalty that can be imposed by the Local Court is a fine of $5,500 and/or 2 years imprisonment.
If the value of the property exceeds $5,000, the maximum penalty that can be imposed by the Local Court is a fine of $11,000 or 2 years imprisonment.
These penalties increase if the damage has been caused by fire or explosives or if the matter is heard in the District Court.