Man in Capital hotels crime spree is jailed

A THIEF stole from hotel rooms in the Capital and even ordered £200 of food and drink on someone else's bill, a court heard.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, 28-year-old Andrew McGrory of High Street, Glasgow, was jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to six charges involving hotels and one of giving a false name to police.

During his crime spree in city hotels, he stole a laptop from a room in the Sheraton in Festival Square on February 27 before settling in at the bar in the Carlton on North Bridge and asking staff to charge food and drink to his room. He was later discovered and chased from the building.

On March 2, he stole a wallet from a room in the Cairn Hotel in Windsor Street and tried to use it the following day to get a room at the Sheraton.

He stole a TV set from the Hudson Hotel in Hope Street and, on August 26, was found with items stolen from a room in the Apex Hotel, Haymarket.

When caught, McGrory gave the police a false name, but his real identity was discovered within hours. His solicitor said he had problems with drinking and gambling.