Brazen burglar walked through busy Leeds city centre bar on a Saturday night and stole £750 from the safe

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A brazen burglar walked through a busy bar in Leeds city centre and managed to steal £750 from the safe without anyone noticing.

Patrick Reilly entered The Lost & Found and was able to make his way into the staff room, find the key to the safe and empty the cash before leaving through a back door. It was not until a month later that a manager found takings were down and the CCTV was checked.

Reilly, 54, admitted at Leeds Crown Court a charge of non-dwelling burglary and was jailed this week.

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The court heard that Reilly entered the popular Greek Street bar at around 10.42pm on Saturday, May 11. The footage showed him moving through the venue and down two flights of stairs to the staff area.

Reilly walked through The Lost & Found bar and into a staff area, where he found a key to the safe and left with £750.Reilly walked through The Lost & Found bar and into a staff area, where he found a key to the safe and left with £750.
Reilly walked through The Lost & Found bar and into a staff area, where he found a key to the safe and left with £750. | Google Maps / Getty

He was seen searching for a key to the safe located under a desk, which he found, before opening it. He removed the £750, threw the keys back onto the shelf and then left.

It was only on June 4 during an audit that the cash was found to be missing. A still from the CCTV was circulated by police and an officer recognised Reilly, prosecutor Olivia Fraser said.

He was arrested on July 17 but refused to answer questions during his interview. He failed to attend a plea and trial preparation hearing at Leeds Crown Court on August 29 and was subsequently arrested.

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Reilly, of Northrop Close, Bradford, later admitted the charge of burglary and was held on remand. He appeared in court this week via video link from HMP Leeds.

He has 48 previous convictions for 90 offences, with more than 60 for theft and dishonesty. He was only convicted of another non-dwelling burglary last year.

Mitigating, Tonicha Allen said he had accepted his guilty early and added: “He tells me this took place entirely on impulse, he saw the opportunity and took it.”

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This was questioned by Judge Mushtaq Khokhar who felt Reilly appeared to know where the staff room was located.

Ms Allen said Reilly also had a history of drug problems, was now on a methadone prescription in jail to combat his heroin addiction and was “making progress”.

Judge Khokhar jailed him for six months and said: “You have an horrendous record. There must have been some knowledge on your part to wander down and actively look for the safe room.”

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