Teenager jailed for hotel room break-in (From Daily Echo)

Teenager jailed for hotel room break-in

11:26am Thursday 13th September 2012 in Crime

EQUIPPED with a stolen keycard, a teenager twice broke into a hotel room on the same evening, a court heard.

The first time he was thwarted when the occupier suddenly returned but on the second he took his wallet, which was recovered intact within a few hours, Southampton Crown Court was told.

At the time, John Butcher was on bail for other offences and serving a community sentence, Judge Derwin Hope was told.

The 19-year-old, who has no settled address, admitted two counts of burglary at Jury’s Inn and one each of handling and going equipped to steal and jailed for 15 months.

Andy Houston, defending, said Johnson was virtually orphaned at the age of 14 following the death of his grandfather and mother and stopped going to school.

“He simply went off the rails, racking up a series of convictions. But he has suddenly realised the law will catch up with him and there has been a marked difference in him since he has been on remand.”