Criminal damage is when a person intentionally destroys or damages the property of another without legal justification such as self-defense. Criminal damage also includes damage that one causes to another's property as the result of reckless behavior. Criminal damage is a crime and, if found guilty, a person can face prosecution and legal consequences for criminal damages.
Criminal damage can include actions such as arson, breaking windows with a baseball bat, knocking down the walls of a building, etc. The more valuable the property that is damaged, the more serious the crime and resulting punishment can be. For example, if a person burns a building to the ground, the punishment can be a lot more serious than if a person smashes the window of a building. Criminal damage can occur to real property or non-real property.