Burglars who broke into drinks depot 'too drunk to escape'

Keith Cullen and Paul Wiggins, two burglars who broke into a Swansea drinks depot, drank until they were incapable of escaping.

Daily Telegraph

4:16PM BST 27 Jul 2009

Cullen and Wiggins were only able to make it to the yard next door during the incident in March, where police found them the following morning.

They had wheeled out more than £700 worth of alcohol causing £1,400 worth of damage, and could not resist drinking the stock.

They then turned up at Swansea magistrates' court so drunk that Cullen was not even allowed in the building.

When Cullin was turned away by security guards at the courthouse, Wiggins also left.

Wiggins disappeared from the foyer. Neither have been seen since and magistrates have subsequently issued arrest warrants.

Cullen, 33, of Waunarlydd, Swansea, and Wiggins, 45, of Townhill, Swansea, were tried in their absence and convicted of burglary and theft.

Andrew David, prosecuting, said CCTV cameras had filmed the duo breaking into the Kuehne Nagle Drinks Logistics depot in Plasmarl, Swansea.

Wiggins could be seen knocking back bottles of beer.

Police were called and officers found cases of beer and cider stacked up and ready to be removed.

They also found "a lot" of empty bottles and then came across Cullen and Wiggins asleep in a yard next to the depot.

They are expected to be sentenced later this week.