Cheeky burglar caught on camera pouring himself a pint after breaking into hotel bar near Gatwick Airport

A cheeky burglar was caught on CCTV pouring himself a pint after breaking into a hotel bar near Gatwick Airport.

Harry Rose, 25, stopped for refreshment at the hotel after earlier stealing steak and drinks from an M&S branch at the airport's North Terminal. He had forced entry into the hotel and made his way to the bar whilst his accomplice Connor Gooderson acted as a lookout.

But when challenged by a hotel staff member, Rose dropped a hold-all bag containing several bottles of spirits he had stolen worth more than £450. He was jailed for eight weeks after admitting burglary and shoplifting at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

He was also ordered to pay £50 in compensation.

Gooderson, who admitted the same charges, was given a community order requiring him to complete 20 hours of unpaid work and ten rehabilitation activity requirement sessions He must also pay £204 compensation, £85 court costs and a £114 surcharge.

The court heard how Rose, formerly of Wayside, Ifield, Crawley, entered the Marks & Spencer store at the North Terminal at 11.25pm on 20 February this year. His friend Gooderson, 21, of Massetts Road, Horley, also entered the shop and together they took steaks, cold meats, protein bars, and cans of fizzy drinks before leaving without paying for them.

The pair then forced open the doors of a nearby hotel in the early hours of 21 February and then Gooderson acted as a lookout while Rose entered a closed bar area.

He was seen on CCTV stealing bottles of spirits from behind the bar, and even poured himself a pint of beer while he rummaged around the till area. A hotel staff member interrupted them and when challenged, Rose dropped the bag of stolen alcohol bottles and left the hotel.

He was arrested minutes later inside the terminal by officers, and claimed he needed to steal to pay off debts owed by his father to an unknown man.

Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Ian Warncken from Gatwick CID said: “Burglary and shop theft causes disruption for businesses and causes concern for the staff who work in them. We work alongside Gatwick Airport and businesses here to both prevent crime and to ensure the safety of the public.

“This case shows our determination to catch offenders and ensure that we reduce the harm and disruption they cause.”