A burglar tried to steal alcohol from an island pub but dropped it as he was escaping then got caught when the van he was travelling in crashed.

James Tarron Keggin and an accomplice were caught on CCTV at 1.45am just before the burglary at the Royal George pub in Ramsey driving the wrong way down a one-way street in the town.

The prosecution told the court 23-year-old Keggin’s accomplice climbed over fencing at the pub then unlocked a gate to let him in.

They got into the cellar of the pub via a hatch in the ground in the pub’s smoking area and plundered alcohol from the storage area

Later CCTV footage showed Keggin dropping a crate of Carlsberg while his friend emerged from the pub cellar with bottles of Corona and Desperado.

The pair then made their escape, driving to Douglas, but were caught after crashing the van in Snaefell Road in Willaston around 3am.

The court heard police found the van on its side in the middle of the road after hitting two parked cars a Volkswagen Golf and a Ford Focus, which, in turn were shunted into a Toyota and a Vauxhall Astra.

The van had earlier been taken from the Ronague area.

elapsed

Defending Keggin, Roger Kane told the court some considerable time had elapsed since the offence on May 15 last year and he had committed no further crimes.

’Given his previous convictions, he may well have turned a corner,’ Mr Kane said. He reminded the court the burglary was one of commercial premises and there had been no intrusion into the landlord’s private living accommodation. He also pointed out there was no vulnerable victim involved and no forced entry, Keggin’s accomplice having jumped over the fence and then let him in.

He said Keggin had two offers of employment.

’He is anxious not to go to prison. He has a supportive partner who is expecting a child this year,’ he said.

He asked the court not to impose an alcohol ban on the defendant as it could jeopardise his employment and he asked for any custodial sentence to be suspended.

Keggin, of Cooil Breryck, Ramsey, admitted one offence of burglary.

Sentencing him, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ’Your most recent conviction was in 2014. You had been drinking throughout most of the day in question and were by your own admission ’’pretty ruined’’.’

He received 10 weeks’ custody suspended for two years and must pay £35 compensation and £125 costs.