A DRUNK fell asleep inside a clothes store after breaking into the property with a giraffe sculpture, a court heard. 

Edward Galbraith, aged 20, woke up underneath a rack of clothes in the Two Seasons shop in Chapel Walk, Worcester.

He then tried to leave with some of the store’s clothes in his bag, before being stopped by security outside.

Galbraith used one of the city’s St Richard’s Hospice fundraising giraffes as a battering ram to smash the shop’s window.

Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, said police officers spotted the damage at Two Seasons at around 2am on September 3.

She said: “They noticed that the window was smashed and the alarm was going off. 

“They noticed that the giraffe was standing outside next to [the shop] - it was leant up against the door. 

“The giraffe had been used to smash the window. Officers looking inside said they could see nobody.

“However as security were there waiting for it to be boarded up they noticed something moving in the shop.”

Ms Lovegrove said Galbraith was then spotted climbing out through the broken window - at which point he was caught.

Galbraith, of Comer Road, Worcester, cut himself while entering the store and bled on some of the items inside, ruining £840 worth of goods.
Police searched his bag and found a haul of clothes valued at £452.50, which also could not be resold.

Ms Lovegrove said the giraffe, called Dotty, suffered damage to its head, feet and stand, which will cost £600 to repair. 

She added: “He [Galbraith] had been out with friends and drank a bottle of gin, Lambrini, and pints of John Smith’s.

“He remembers waking up in the shop and climbing out of the shop window with the stolen clothes.”

Jo Outhwaite, defending, said Galbraith was ‘incredibly intoxicated’ on the night of the burglary.

She added: “He remembers waking up in the shop under a clothes rail - that had been knocked over - wondering why he was there.

“At the time he didn’t realise he had placed some of the clothing in his bag. He woke up, got his bag and left the premises. Security staff outside detained him.”

The solicitor said he had written two letters to Two Seasons and St Richard’s Hospice, expressing his remorse. 

She said Galbraith hopes to make it up to the two organisations and offered to reimburse them with his time or money.

Some of his relatives have received care from St Richard’s Hospice in the past - and he has even raised funds for the charity, the court heard.

Ms Outhwaite added: “In March this year he [Galbraith] got an apprenticeship at an insurance broker.

“After four months that apprenticeship was taken away with little explanation.

“That sent him into a spiral and meant he was struggling financially.”
The solicitor said Galbraith isolated himself from his friends and family and started to drink more.

She added: "A few days before this incident he had revealed more serious thoughts of harming himself."

The court also heard that Galbraith, who has no previous convictions or cautions, suffers from mental illnesses.

The probation service said he had been prescribed antidepressants and previously attempted to take an overdose of Diazepam.

He pleaded guilty to burglary involving theft and criminal damage.

Roger Warrington, chair of the magistrates bench, said: "You have clocked up a fair amount of damage there and you will have to pay for all of it."

Worcester Magistrates Court ordered Galbraith to pay £1,860 in compensation and costs and complete 150 hours of community service.

Sara Matthews, project manager for Worcester Stands Tall, the St Richard’s Hospice giraffe initiative, said: “I am pleased this matter has been resolved and would like to thank the police for their work in reaching a conclusion.

“While we faced challenges during the trail, for us the overriding theme has been the fantastic support members of the public have shown for our event and the cause behind it – St Richard’s Hospice.

“We are now looking forward to our farewell event at Worcester Cathedral, where we hope to raise a fantastic amount for the hospice’s Build 2020 Appeal.”

Two Seasons faced a £150 bill to repair its broken window.

St Richard's Hospice has positioned giraffe sculptures around the city, with plans to auction them off to raise for the charity.

The Worcester Stands Tall Live Auction will take place at DRP Group, off Kidderminster Road, in Hartlebury, on October 11.