HOTEL ROOM BURGLAR LEFT USED NEEDLE IN GUEST’S BAG
Homeless man given room for night kept his key to return next day and steal from visitor
A HOMELESS man put up in a hotel by a charity returned to the room after checking out and stole the new occupant’s cash, a court has heard.
Andrew Coleman also made himself a coffee, combed his hair with his victim’s comb, and left a used heroin needle in the new guest’s toiletries bag.
A HOMELESS man put up in a hotel by a charity returned to the room after checking out and stole the new occupant’s cash, a court has heard.
Andrew Coleman also made himself a coffee, combed his hair with his victim’s comb, and left a used heroin needle in the new guest’s toiletries bag.
Tom Scapens, prosecuting, said in August this year Coleman trashed the kitchenette in his room at the city’s Dinas Fechan hostel.
He was evicted from the premises and approached another homelessness charity seeking help. The court heard as an emergency measure Coleman was put up in the Travelodge hotel in Princess Way. Mr Scapens said the 43-year-old spent the night of August 21 in room 407 but did not return his key.
The room was subsequently cleaned and prepared for the next guest - a man who was staying in Swansea for work.
The court heard the new occupant checked in but was told there was a “problem with the key card” and had to be let into the room by staff. The visitor then met with colleagues.
Mr Scapens said when the guest returned to his room that evening he found items had been moved around, £250 was missing from his wallet, the complimentary tea and coffee facilities had been used, there was a clump of someone’s hair attached to his comb, and there was a used drug-injecting needle in his wash bag. The prosecutor said the visitor had not come into contact with the syringe.
CCTV was checked and Coleman was identified as the burglar having used the retained key card to gain entry.
Coleman, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, burglary, and shoplifting - the unrelated theft of £15 of deodorant, food and chocolate from a store.
The court heard he has 85 previous convictions for 269 offences including attempted robbery, two house burglaries, 13 non-dwelling burglaries, and 151 for theft and kindred matters.
Stuart John, for Coleman, said the defendant grew up in care and had been an addict throughout his adolescent and adult life.
Judge Paul Thomas QC said he had no doubt the defendant had kept the room key with the intention of returning to commit burglary. Giving the defendant a one-third discount for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced him to a total of 14 months in prison. Coleman will serve up to half of that period in custody before being released on licence.