Burglar found asleep in pub after he broke in, helped himself to drink and caused extensive damage 

Just one more for the ROGUE! Burglar is found asleep inside pub after he broke in and helped himself to drinks before causing thousands of pounds worth of damage

  • Marius Petrikas, 30, caused extensive damage costing more than £21,000 after helping himself to a drink at City Tavern, in Newcastle city centre, last summer  
  • Petrikas used metal bar to force entry and was found asleep inside by the police
  • Police tasered the burglar six times before he tried to flee and split his head open
  • Owner David King told the court business was already struggling due to Covid
  • Petrikas was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to burglary 

A burglar who broke into a pub and caused wanton destruction worth thousands of pounds was found sound asleep in the bar the following morning.

Marius Petrikas used a metal bar to force entry into City Tavern, in Newcastle city centre, last summer.

Once inside, he helped himself to a drink and went on a wrecking spree for no apparent reason, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Marius Petrikas helps himself to a drink

Marius Petrikas, 30, caused extensive damage costing more than £21,000 after breaking in and helping himself to a drink at City Tavern, in Newcastle city centre, last summer (pictured)

Petrikas' destructive antics were all caught on the city centre pubs CCTV last August

Petrikas’ destructive antics were all caught on the city centre pubs CCTV last August

The owner, already struggling due to the impact of coronavirus, was left with losses of more than £21,000 as a result of Petrikas’ actions.

The court heard it was in the early hours of the morning on August 5 last year that Petrikas, also know as Algis Likso, broke in.

Alec Burns, prosecuting, said: ‘He was discovered at 6am that morning when the landlord found the door insecure.

‘He could hear snoring so called the police, who attended and found the defendant asleep. He had a bag and a metal pole with him.

‘He had wrecked the pub and barricaded himself using beer barrels and furniture.

‘He pulled a camera off the wall, in the cellar he pulled a cooling unit off the wall.’

The 30-year-old had used a metal pole to force entry before heading back behind the pub's bar

The 30-year-old had used a metal pole to force entry before heading back behind the pub’s bar

Damage caused by Petrikas

Petrikas barricaded himself in the pub

Petrikas cause extensive damage to the pub before barricading himself in with furniture. Police found him asleep and tasered him six times before he was eventually arrested

Such was the extent of the damage, the pub could not open until repairs had been done.

Owner David King told the court the final loss to the business was £21,450.

He added: ‘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.’

Mr King added that it had a detrimental impact on staff morale and that photographs of memorable events had been torn from the walls and destroyed.

Petrikas, 30, of Ashley Close, Killingworth, North Tyneside, pleaded guilty to burglary.

Petrikas was handed a 12-month jail sentence but will be released almost immediately due to the length of time spent on remand already

Petrikas was handed a 12-month jail sentence but will be released almost immediately due to the length of time spent on remand already

He was also in breach of a community order imposed for affray, assault and criminal damage worth more than £5,000 in Darlington when he trashed his home after being told to leave by the landlord.

He threw furniture out of the window, barricaded himself in and police tasered him six times but it had no effect.

He eventually jumped out of the window and split his head open before running at police officers, biting one of them as they arrested him.

Recorder Ben Nolan QC sentenced him to 12 months in prison but due to the time spent on remand, he will be released almost immediately.

The judge told him: ‘Having broke in your committed criminal damage by wrecking various feature within the pub then, bizarrely, you simply went to sleep on the sofa in the pub.’

Recorder Nolan added that the offence was contributed to by his mental health problems.

Andrew Walker, defending, said: ‘One can only have great sympathy for hard-working businesses who have to deal with this sort of situation.’