A burglar broke into a Chester pub while the landlord ‘watched in horror’ on CCTV upstairs.

Robert Hook, 26, also stole thousands of pounds worth of power tools from businesses in Helsby and Chester in separate thefts.

He was jailed for two years at Chester Crown Court on Monday, April 18.

Hook, whose address was not listed in court, was rumbled by police outside the Chichester Arms in Garden Lane after he burgled the pub in October last year.

Judge Nicholas Woodward said it was obvious someone could be sleeping upstairs when Hook broke in at about 4am, which made the crime more serious.

Garden Lane in Chester

He said: “You didn’t go in the residential area of the pub, but you did go in the bar area and the cellar which were covered by CCTV.

Landlord suffered 'trauma'

“The female landlord watched in horror as you tried to force open the till.

“They contacted the police and you were caught outside.

“The trauma she suffered was exactly the same as a householder would suffer if they know there house is entered by a burglar.”

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Hook committed burglaries at Harbour Construction in Helsby and Cheshire Home Building in Chester in July and August of last year respectively.

He stole a laptop and tools, including a power washer, to the value of more than £4,000.

A clean slate

Christopher Hunt, defending, said Hook was working hard to ‘clean his slate’.

Mr Hunt said: “He has proved himself working in the kitchens to such an extent he now has one of the most trusted jobs at Altcourse.

“It is possible his time in custody will actually make him more employable and it is this which makes me think this is a man who has put things behind him.”

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Hook pleaded guilty to three burglary offences, one count concerning theft from a dwelling and two counts concerning commercial properties.

He had eight previous convictions for burglary, mostly of businesses rather than homes, the court was told.

The 26-year-old was sentenced to 16 months for the Chichester Arms break-in and eight months for each of the commercial burglaries which will run concurrently.

Judge Woodward said: “You can’t keep going on committing offences as you keep doing without you going back to prison.”