A burglar was spotted on CCTV wandering around a hotel he’d broken into wearing a high-vis jacket. Ryan Parker had sneaked into the Mitre Hotel, in the city centre, at around 5am when he caught the attention of the female guard.
The night porter, who was sat in reception monitoring the CCTV cameras, heard something fall and saw Parker, 49, walk past the camera wearing the neon-coloured jacket.
“You entered and were seen on CCTV by a witness, and curiously, wearing a high-visibility jacket. It seems to be a rather odd choice of clothing for somebody involved in a burglary,” Recorder Imran Shafi KC said in sentencing.
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Immediately calling the police, she watched as he walked past the bar area and attempted to steal a TV. Officers arrived in time and were able to catch him in the act.
Parker, of Wythenshawe, who has over 150 offences on his criminal record, was jailed for 18 months at Manchester Crown Court.
Clare Thomas, prosecuting, said the night porter began work at 11pm on March 19 this year, and had completed her half-hourly checks around the hotel when she sat down in reception at 5.30am.
“She was alerted to the sound of something falling, she saw someone’s leg move [on CCTV] and saw a high-vis jacket,” the prosecutor said.
“She called the police as she knew nobody else was in the building and no other staff were left. As she made the call she saw somebody walk past the camera into the bar area and start to touch the TV from behind, before pulling at a cord.”
When the police arrived they discovered an open window with a number of tables which were knocked over. They also found a crow bar behind the bar, which Parker disputed possession of.
Parker was said to have 63 previous convictions for 153 offences, 83 of which for offences of theft. The court heard that he was convicted after he’d previously burgled the same pub twice within a few months of each other.
Mitigating, Emily Potter said Parker had spotted an open window whilst walking home drunk, and ‘jumped in’ to the hotel to find a place to sleep. He was homeless at the time, she said.
“It was his 49th birthday last week and he was thinking to himself whilst in prison that if he doesn’t sort himself out, he is going to be in and out of prison for the rest of his life,” Ms Potter said.
She said that Parker had worked as a health and social care worker, but after losing his job he came homeless and began drinking. Ms Potter added that he is ‘extremely remorseful’.
Recorder Shafi added: “Instead of trying to seek further employment you chose to drink and feel sorry for yourself. Hopefully custody focuses your mind.
“Keep off the alcohol and then you can decide whether you want to get out and lead a law-abiding life like other normal citizens, or whether you want to go back to a life of dishonesty and crime. It’s entirely in your hands.”
Parker, of Briardene Gardens, was jailed for 18 months. He earlier pleaded guilty to an offence of burglary with intent to steal.
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