A 44-YEAR-OLD man who broke into a derelict hotel and stole copper piping has been spared prison.
At the Magistrate’s Court, Oliver Munks admitted breaking and entering the Mayfair Hotel on the night of 10 February this year and stealing pipes.
Advocate Sophie Lister, prosecuting, said the hotel had been closed for demolition at the time of the break-in.
A woman who lived nearby called the police at around 10.50pm, after hearing noises from the building and seeing someone inside passing lengths of copper piping to someone outside, who put them in a blue Volkswagen Golf.
She added: ‘A number of claw hammers were found in the hotel. There were areas that appeared to have had their copper piping cut or completely removed.’
Munks’s DNA was found on a door handle.
The court heard that Munks had a previous conviction for breaking and entering from two-and-a-half years ago.
Advocate James Bell, defending, pointed out that Munks had not been the only person involved.
He said: ‘He went to see what was going on.
‘Unfortunately, he got embroiled in what was going on.’
Advocate Bell accepted that the offences would usually lead to a custodial sentence, but said the pipes were of little value.
He added that Munks, who appeared in court on crutches, would not be fit enough to carry out community service. He had pleaded guilty and had written a letter of remorse, the advocate added.
Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris said Munks had had little option but to plead guilty, as his guilt was clear.
But he said: ‘Any damage that you did cause would be lost in the demolition in any event.’
He imposed a five-month prison sentence, suspended for a year.
