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Burgundian iPhone wrecker hit with damages, suspended sentence

Begloved Dijonaise Mac fan attacked Apple store with outsized metal ball

A bellicose Burgundian has been served a six-month suspended sentence and a pile of damages after being driven to distraction by a glitchy iPhone and taking revenge on his local Apple store with a shiny metal ball.

According to French tech site Slice42, Yann Serre had bought an iPhone 6 in the Dijon Apple store in January 2015. However, the cantankerous fondle slab regularly failed to respond to his caresses, and also had a habit of dropping off the network.

Frustrated at the apparent indifference of the Cupertino-based megacorp – and with his device now out of warranty – he decided to address the problem in the classic French manner, by storming the barricades shouting slogans of liberté, egalité etc.

Or in Yann’s case, attacking the local Apple store last month armed with a pétanque ball before smashing more than 30 iPhones and Macbooks – presumably to ensure none of his fellow citizens suffer the same indignities inflicted on him.

However, before making his escape, presumably to carry on the fight from the mountains, Serre was collared by a security guard, and handed over to the gendarmes.

In court this week, Apple demanded damages of €57,000 (£50,975/$62,226) from Serre – who in response admitted he might have gone a little over the top. Apple's lawyers said Serre had launched threats against Apple in the past – in 2010, 2013 and 2014.

They sought to dispel any notion that Serre was some kind of consumer White Knight, instead describing him as "a barbarian who applies his law of retaliation" and who had threatened to do something unspeakable to the mother of Apple France's commercial director as well as defecate in his mouth.

The court decided to hit the now much calmer Serre with damages of €17,758 (£15,880/$19,379), a six-month suspended sentence, two years' probation, and a ban from the shopping mall where he carried out his pétanque-enable phone assault.

For his part, Serre reportedly plans to appeal.

You can watch Serre's Apple store assault here:

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