Burglar Breaks Into Hotel, Steals Gin Bottles, Cash and Keys to Owner’s Bentley Before Falling Asleep in a Guest Room

The Crescent Hotel was one of the locations broken into. (Photo: Google Maps)

A man has been jailed for 22 months and banned from driving for four years in relation to breaking into two hotels and stealing several gin bottles, cash and the keys to the owner’s Bentley in Scarborough, England, as reported by The Scarborough News on Tuesday.

According to the report, William Bennett, 26, snuck his way into The Crescent Hotel around 3:30 AM through a window and took £65 ($74.43) from a cash register. Bennet left through the front door of the hotel after grabbing hotel keys and crossing paths with a staff member who “suspected nothing untoward,” The Scarborough News noted.

The following morning, Bennett was found asleep in a guest rooms by a cleaner. Bennett was confronted by the assistant manager. Checks confirmed he did not have a hotel reservation. The assistant manager informed her bosses, but Bennet was found in another guest room the next morning.

Bennet said he had permission to enter the premises and that his grandfather let him into the hotel, as detailed by the report, he even showed a room key in an attempt to add credibility to his story. He was asked to leave the premises. The hotel’s CCTV footage showed Bennett previously roaming around the bar area and drinking various beverages he picked up, the report stated.

After police were informed and the hotel owners were alerted, it was discovered that the keys to the owner’s Bentley were gone, as well as the car. It was reported that the keys may have been taken on Aug. 25, with Bennet returning a few days later for the car.

On Aug. 27, Bennet was stopped by police as he was driving in the stolen Bentley. As reported, Bennet tested positive for cannabis via breath test and was arrested and placed into custody for a toxicity test — but he refused to give a blood sample.

Bennet owned up to the burglaries, which included several bottles of gin and other items belonging to the hotel owner, all found in the Bentley’s trunk. The Scarborough News noted that Bennet did not remember breaking into the hotels, as he was “too drunk.”

In a court hearing on Tuesday, Bennet plead guilty for failing to provide a specimen for analysis, breaching a suspended prison sentence, two counts of burglary and theft.

According to Bennet’s solicitor advocate, as reported by The Scarborough News, Bennet had “substantial issues” in his life which led to him living off of benefits with little money to spare. This resulted in him sleeping in hotel rooms and attempting to sell stolen items.

In other gin news, police in Yarm were on the lookout for a couple who may have been connected to bottles of gin stolen from Holdensfield Farm, which sells Christmas trees.

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