A man broke into a pub, downed a beer, and then went on a huge wrecking spree before falling asleep. After the owner heard snoring, Burglar Marius Petrikas, 30, was found quickly asleep on a sofa in the bar.
Petrikas had caused thousands of pounds worth of damage last year at the City Tavern in Newcastle, before he decided to take a kip.
Owner David King, who was already struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic, said that because of Petrikas' actions, he was left with more than ? 21,000 worth of loss.
The damage was so bad, before repair work had been carried out, the pub was unable to open for a long time.
He reportedly said, "COVID-19 has had a massive financial impact on us and this burglary has happened at the worse possible time and has put livelihoods at risk.?It felt like a last straw that broke the camel's back."
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Petrikas had 'barricaded' himself in the pub and removed a camera from the wall, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
He pleaded guilty to robbery and Recorder Ben Nolan QC sentenced him to 12 months in jail, but he will be released almost immediately this year as Petrikas has spent too long in detention.
Recorder Nolan added that his mental health issues led to the crime.
The judge told him, "Having broke in your committed criminal damage by wrecking various features within the pub then, bizarrely, you simply went to sleep on the sofa in the pub."
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