A clumsy burglar was caught red-handed by the police while hiding behind a video game after breaking into an amusement arcade.
Tristram Francis was found in an arcade on Bognor Regis Pier in Sussex. The 40-year-old man was seen on CCTV forcing open an ATM machine, taking cash from a fruit machine and smashing a glass window.
The police arrived at the scene following an intruder alarm at Neptunes Arcade just before 5am on August 29. They found the front doors forced open and shards of glass scattered across the floor.
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Francis was discovered hiding behind a dance game and refused to come out, leading officers to physically detain him. Francis also burgled an office in Brighton, stealing around £3,000 worth of electrical equipment including laptops, cameras and charging cables.
He pleaded guilty to both offences and received a suspended jail sentence at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Monday, November 27. He was also told to join a drug rehab programme for the next year.
Investigating officer Caitlin O'Dwyer said after sentencing: "Despite his clear dependency on drug use, the actions of Francis on these two occasions were completely unacceptable. He caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to an arcade frequented by families, locals and tourists, and the business owners were faced with the massive inconvenience of getting that damage repaired.
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"He also nicked loads of electrical items from an office in Brighton, again causing a huge inconvenience to the victims. We hope this conviction helps Francis get the help he needs to get back on track."
He was also warned that if he commits any more crimes within the next 18 months, he could be sent straight to jail . . . by a judge who was clearly not playing games.
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