A married man whose life was plunged into turmoil following the break up of his marriage left a Huddersfield hotel without paying his bill, a court heard yesterday.
Michael Burton, 55, of Manchester Road, Milnsbridge, booked a room in the Central Hotel in the Beast Market on March 31 for two nights and paid £114 in cash.
Prosecutor, Ben Smith, told Kirklees Magistates’ Court that later he asked for the stay to be extended but he had not got the means to pay for it.
Matters came to a head on April 5 when he left at 7am without settling his bill of £326.20 for hotel room, food and bar bill.
The Marsden brothers, who run the hotel, tried to use the bank card he had left but to no avail.
Mr Smith said that when interviewed by police he made full admission of the offence.
“He was aware that he didn’t have the funds necessary.
“He did intend to pay the bill but he didn’t know what to do. However, he made no attempt to pay off the bill and he accepts that what he did was dishonest.”
He told the bench that Burton had nine convictions for 24 offences including a number for dishonesty. He admitted making off without payment.
In mitigation, duty solicitor Marnat Ali, said the offence had occurred at a “very difficult time for him. He was separated from his wife.
“He had no accommodation and had lost his job. He had been waiting for funds from his ex employer.
“Unfortunately, this sum did not materialise. He did not explain his predicament to the hotel but he did not go there with the intention of not paying. It was an embarrassing incident.
“He is now on Job Seekers Allowance and wishes to make payment to the hotel.”
Sentencing him, chairman of the bench, Brian Hughes, told him to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
He was told to repay his hotel bill in full as well as paying a victim surcharge of £60 and £85 costs, at a rate of £5 per week.
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