A burglar who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage when he ransacked a pub was caught after leaving his DNA on a can of Coca-Cola at the crime scene.
Dawid Mencnarowski wore a mask during the break in and, along with an accomplice, went to great lengths to disable security equipment at the Oak Vaults in Hull.
After climbing a wall to gain entry, the pair made off with around £3,100 worth of property having caused £3,000 worth of damage, Hull Crown Court heard.
However, Mencnarowski left behind a soft drink can that he had been sipping on during the raid.
Mencnarowski, 29, pleaded guilty to the burglary on July 13 last year and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Hull Live reported that Benjamin Donnell, prosecuting, said that Mencnarowski and an accomplice broke into the pub by scaling a boundary wall to get into the rear beer garden before entering through a window.
Wearing Covid-style masks, the pair forced internal doors and tried to disable CCTV by cutting and ripping cameras, turning them to point up to the ceiling, ripping out an alarm and disconnecting a router.
"They carried out a systematic messy search within the public house," said Mr Donnell. "All the storage cupboards and hatches were opened by the defendant and his associate.
"They emptied out all the storage looking for items that they could make off with. They left dirty footprints all over the property."
The intruders took between £300 and £400 cash from the till as well as bottles of spirits and wine, electronic equipment, mobile phones, laptops, walkie talkies, a stereo system and memory sticks.
They escaped by scaling two steel gates, leaving extensive damage to the doors costing about £3,000 and forcing the business to close for a time, causing a further loss in the region of £2,000.
Mencnarowski left a Coca-Cola can in a wash room and he was identified from his DNA on that.
One of the owners later said: "I couldn't believe it. It didn't feel real. I just felt sick and angry. The damage caused was not needed and was pointless.
"It felt like it wasn't real when I realised what had happened. I feel scared and worried that we will be targeted again. I worked hard to set this place up."
Mencnarowski was arrested on September 29 and some items from the burglary were found at his home.
He had convictions for six previous offences in this country and others, including theft after unlawful entry in his native Poland.
Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Mencnarowski gave "quite a tall account" to the probation service.
He had suffered a fairly turbulent period in his life after losing his identity documents.
Recorder Geraldine Kelly told Mencnarowski that the two owners had worked hard to build up the business, saying: "You haven't just caused them loss of their belongings but huge inconvenience and a lot of business and profits.
“You are not sorry. You deny that you were even responsible for this offence."
