Man broke into hotels and stole Bentley car
A burglar broke into two Scarborough hotels, slept in guest rooms and wandered around the premises stealing cash, valuable company data, bottles of gin and the car keys to the owner’s prized Bentley.
William Bennett, 26, first snuck into the office area of The Crescent Hotel in Belvoir Terrace and stole £65 from the till, York Crown Court heard.
A duty manager later noticed a shortfall in the till and checked CCTV footage which showedamanclimbingintothe hotel’sbarareaatabout3.30am and then sneaking into the office area, said prosecutor Tayo Dasaolu.
The burly thief left the office
with a key and returned a secondtimewithanotherroom key.
He then returned a third time when he was spotted by a
staff member who “suspected nothing untoward”.
However, at 11.30am the following day, a cleaner at the Central Hotel in The Crescent found Bennett asleep in one of the guest rooms. The assistant manager was alerted and confronted Bennett, who gave her false details, but checks confirmed he didn’t have a reservation.
The assistant manager alerted her bosses, but the followingmorningshefoundBennettinsideanotherguestroom.
The owner of both hotels was alerted and informed police. He noticed that the keys to his Bentley had been taken from the office and his vehicle had gone too.
Bennett was driving out of ScarboroughinthestolenBentley on August 27 when he was stopped by police.
A roadside breath test proved positive for cannabis.
He owned up to the burglaries but said he couldn’t remember breaking into the hotels because he was “too drunk”.
Bennett, of Haigh Road, Leeds, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, theft, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and breaching a suspended prison sentence.
The offences occurred between August 23 and 27.
His solicitor advocate Graham Parkin said there were “substantial issues in (Bennett’s) life” and that at the time of the offences he was living off benefits, which led to him sleeping in rooms at the hotel and stealing items to sell.
Recorder Paul Reid said Bennett’s “persistent spate of offences” had caused “sheer stress and annoyance to those whose property was taken”.
Bennett was jailed for 22 months and given a four-year driving ban.