Pavilion and Church Street Tavern raided by Colchester thief

Nicholas Doy smashed the windows of Church Street Tavern, causing more than £1,000 in damage, and helped himself to anything he could find on the inside during multiple raids.

The 37-year-old stole £6,000 of alcohol when he climbed through boarded up windows at high-end restaurant Pavilion, in Middleborough, across three burglaries.

Spared jail - Nicholas Doy (Image: Essex Police)

Ipswich Crown Court heard his drug-fuelled rampage of thefts between July 9 and August 20 also saw him steal from High Street pub Three Wise Monkeys and The Old Siege House, in East Hill.

John Carmichael, prosecuting, said Doy’s desperation saw him even snatch a pot of loose change in Crouch Street’s Thomas Campbell Hairdressing.

The prosecutor revealed the total sum of the raids to be £7,320, with £1,100 worth of alcohol taken from Church Street Tavern and £200 from the Three Wise Monkeys.

Raided - the Church Street Tavern (Image: Church Street Tavern)

A £20 bottle of brandy was taken from The Old Siege House, with bosses needing to foot a £250 bill for the damage caused to a window.

Doy, of Alexandra Road, Colchester, admitted ten counts of burglary and one count of criminal damage.

But Deputy Circuit Judge David Pugh decided to spare the defendant of further prison time on the premise he sorts out his reliance on Class A drugs.

“It does seem to be in the public interest to give you that opportunity rather than further custody which risks, when you get released, you going back to your offending behaviour,” said the judge.

Targeted - Pavilion (Image: Pavilion)

“I am just persuaded I should give you the opportunity to demonstrate that, with the assistance of outside agencies, you can break away from the circle of offending.

Danielle Byford, mitigating, said Doy was addicted to crack cocaine and heroin at the time, adding: “He was at a low end and he was simply trying to fund his drug habit.”

Doy was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years.

He was ordered to undertake 35 days of a rehabilitation activity and a nine month drug rehabilitation requirement.