Thief stole from charity box

A MAN broke into Marsden Liberal Club to search for cash to get home after being kicked off a train for fare dodging.

Drunk Dean Walker smashed his way into the Peel Street premises in the early hours of Wednesday (April 12), fleeing with till and money from a charity box.

The 30-year-old was earlier ordered off a train at Marsden Railway Station for failing to have a valid ticket.

He and an accomplice saw the closed club as a chance to find funds to get home to Stalybridge – and grab a free drink from the bar.

The club’s landlord and his wife were woken by the break-in and called police.

Walker pleaded guilty to burglary and Kirklees magistrates jailed him for five months.

Prosecutor Alex Bozman told the Huddersfield court that the couple were alerted to voices downstairs in the club at 12.40am.

He said: “He looked out from his bedroom window and saw two men walking down Peel Street, one of them carrying a till.

“When police arrived they were seen crouched down with one holding something over his head and banging it on the floor.”

The men split up as they ran away, with Walker being caught by a female officer as he crouched down behind a bin.

A search of the area was carried out and some loose change was recovered together with the broken till and a yellow glove.

Walker and his accomplice had entered the club by smashing a window. No money was kept in the till but they took some money from a charity box next to it.

They also drank some spirits belonging to the club during the course of the burglary, Mr Bozman added.

Walker, who had a previous burglary conviction on his record, has now been recalled to prison after breaching his licence conditions.

Steve Higgins, mitigating, said that his client was only released from prison last week with just £40 to his name.

He told magistrates: “He was expected to use that to find accommodation, feed and look after himself until his benefits claim is up and running.

“Inevitably, he ended up sleeping on somebody’s sofa and hanging around in the same circles he used to as a drug user, which led to his offending.

“He was invited to Huddersfield, drank some cheap cider with a friend and they’ve got back on the train without a ticket.

“They were stopped at Marsden by the conductor and then thrown off there.

“It was the last train home and they were wandering around wondering how they could get home.

“It was a spur of the moment idea to break into the club to see what they could get to try and get home.”

Magistrates jailed Walker, of Cambridge Street in Stalybridge, for 20 weeks.

He has to pay £115 victim surcharge upon his release.