WILLIAM Paul Williams' burglary attempt came crashed down around his ears - literally.
A court heard Williams realised he was trapped inside a unit on the Whitegates Industrial Estate at Wrexham - so he hid in the roof space.
But as he tried to climb down the false ceiling gave way and he fell flat on his face on the floor below.
At Flintshire Magistrates Court Williams, 31, of Derby Road, Wrexham, admitted the burglary jointly with another man who had previously been dealt with, theft from a car, and failing to answer his bail on two occasions.
He was jailed for four months for burglary and theft, but received a consecutive two month sentence for the bail offences - making six months in all.
Prosecutor Christine O'Kane said police saw Williams and an accomplice run out of a fire escape.
When they saw the police, the two men returned and Williams hid in the roof space above the suspended ceiling.
'Police officers called to him to come down and he fell through the ceiling and was arrested,' Miss O'Kane explained.
Defending solicitor Gary Harvey said his client asked the police how he could get down: 'As he did so, he fell through the ceiling flat on to his face,' Mr Harvey explained.
The burglary had been committed in order to feed drug addiction which had afflicted Williams since he was 16.
He was now 31 and his offending had led him into custody a total of 13 times.
When he came out, he re-offended in order to feed his habit.
At the time of the burglary last September he had come out of custody after a short sentence and did not have any money.
Mr Harvey suggested a rehabilitation order with a drugs abstinence order.
