It ‘was very distressing for the people who were present’, Hull Crown Court heard
Guests at a bed-and-breakfast were left distressed and upset after a “stoned” intruder targeted and broke into the premises on two occasions and made a complete nuisance of himself while prowling around inside. Cocaine user Nathan Collinson had repeatedly been jailed for burglary in the past and he had a long history of crime, a court heard.
Collinson, 36, of Scarborough, but recently in custody on remand, admitted two offences of burglary at the same bed-and-breakfast on June 21 and July 12. He also admitted possessing cocaine on July 21.
Harry Bradford, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court that the manager and part-owner of a bed-and-breakfast in Esplanade Road, Scarborough, was told by a member of staff on June 22 that she could not get into the property and that she had seen broken glass. The manager looked at CCTV pictures and saw Collinson and another man outside and looking through a kitchen window before using a brick to smash it, causing damage estimated at £500.
Collinson put his hand through the window to open the door from the inside. Both men went inside.
Police found Collinson inside. He was arrested and had a snap bag of cocaine on him.
On July 11, a woman saw Collinson outside the same property. “He was screaming and shouting,” said Mr Bradford. “He banged on the back door and attempted to use a broom to open the door. Eventually, he took a marble table with a metal stand and used it to hit the door several times until the door opened.”
At 7.18pm, the manager was contacted by a distressed guest, who was trying to check in to the bed-and-breakfast. The manager could hear a male in the background and she recognised the voice as Collinson. The guest said that he seemed to be “stoned”.
Through the letterbox, the manager saw Collinson at the top of the stairs talking to female guests. The manager was told that Collinson had left through the window of a room.
Police found Collinson inside the property and the intruder pushed against the door to shut it. “The officer drew his Taser before arresting the defendant and taking him to hospital for medical treatment,” said Mr Bradford.
Collinson was in possession of a wallet, containing bank cards and cash, belonging to the other part-owner. He made no comment to all questions during police interview. He had convictions for 91 previous offences, including 36 of theft. He had been jailed for one year in April 2012, 10 months in March 2022 and two years in August 2022, all for domestic burglary.
Maya Hanson, mitigating, said that Collinson pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. “The defendant expressed a significant amount of remorse for these offences,” said Miss Hanson.
Judge John Thackray KC told Collinson: “These were unpleasant offences of burglary. It was very distressing for the people who were present. People were upset.”
Collinson was jailed for 876 days – the equivalent of two years and about five months. “You need to keep yourself out of trouble otherwise you are going to be serving a life sentence in instalments,” said Judge Thackray. “If you get into trouble when you are released, you know that you can be recalled.”