19-year-old Harry Mortram has appeared in court after breaking into The Castle Inn pub earlier this year and stealing around £150 cash from the staff tip jar, as well as bottles of alcohol.
Mortram, of George Street in Ryde, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court today (Friday) and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to burglary other than dwelling – theft.
Liz Miller, prosecuting, explained to the court that at around 02:04 on 17th August, Mortram was captured on CCTV walking down the side of The Castle Inn pub in Newport. Mortram is said to have then broken into the pub, where he remained for some 50 minutes. He stole around £150 of tips and £80 of alcohol.
The 19-year-old was caught after staff from the popular pub circulated a CCTV still – pictured above – on social media. Harry Mortram’s name was raised by several people and as a result, he was arrested by Police last month. His fingerprints were taken whilst in custody and proved to be a match for a fingerprint captured from the staff tip jar.
Defending, Henry Farley said his client was ashamed of himself and had been suffering from difficulties surrounding housing, as well as issues with bereavement, alcohol and drugs.
A pre-sentence report compiled by the probation service detailed that Mortram had been drinking on the day of the offence and had consumed Xanax tablets. Mortram told probation officers that he couldn’t remember the incident and woke up to find the stolen items in a bag. He also told probation that he was ashamed of his actions but too anxious to go to the Police.
Magistrates made Harry Mortram subject to a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work attached. He was also ordered to pay compensation of £630.
The team at The Castle Inn said at the time of the burglary:
“As you can imagine this is absolutely devastating for us. As a small family run business, this is a setback we can’t afford”.
They have always been suffering with problems and sorry after they are caught.
Once a thief always a thief.
Yes something not right £630 compensation to a business,yet if he had assulted a elderly person or emergency worker might be £35?
Does the sentence fit the crime? and why do they seem to think its okay to take tablets and then drink?
That will teach him lol
His fingerprints were taken whilst in custody and proved to be a match for a fingerprint captured from the staff tip jar.
……
ha ha – schoolboy error mortram – gloves dear boy, gloves – the master criminal always makes one fatal mistake that is their downfall.
as mortram is from ryde, did he spend all that money getting a taxi back home at that time of night -thats the real crime there – cost of taxi fares.
£630 fine, cost of travel, cost of ladder, minus lack of spend on gloves -crime didn’t pay on this one, eh mortram ..enjoy the forced labour, you have earnt it – mug.
With plenty of young fit persons on Community Service couldn’t they be made to clean out the ditches that the Environment Agency/Island Roads dispute ownership of. Sandham Park being one that needs sorting. Just a thought!
Why was it left to the pub staff to circulate a photo of the suspect?
Why were the police not doing it?
Nice to see our council tax payments are being used well as per usual!
They were probably sent on a gender awareness course.