On returning home laden with the family shopping, James William Gray parked near the lift in the underground car park in Route du Port Elizabeth instead of using his own rented space, the court heard.
But when he came down again from his home in Victoria Place, he found that the car had been clamped because it was claimed that it had been blocking a storage cupboard, Centenier Danny Scaife said.
Later, after it was noticed that both car and clamp had gone, Gray admitted that, instead of paying the release fee, he had hired a saw, cut off the device and put the bits in a bin, the Centenier added.
Gray (38) admitted causing malicious damage to the clamp, belonging to Phoenix Security, on 13 May.
He was fined £250 and, after some argument about the cost of the damage, was ordered to pay £255 compensation.
