Squatting burglar who caused £1,000 damage at Scarcroft Village Hall is jailed at Leeds Crown Court

Lukasz Jaworski broke into the village hall sometime between May 26 and June 3 while it was not being used due to Covid-19, Leeds Crown Court heard.

A village hall committee member discovered the hall had been broken into at around 5pm on June 3.

John Hobley, prosecuting, said cupboard doors in the kitchen had been ripped open and damaged.

Bottles and cans of lager had been taken and empty cans had been left strewn around inside the hall, along with a chicken bone and items of clothing.

The court heard a toolbox had been opened and four screwdrivers were missing.

Mr Hobley said a woman was working from home at a house in Scarcroft on June 3 when she saw a man - later identified as Jaworski - walk towards the front door at around 2pm.

Mr Hobley said Jaworski, 26, walked in the house before turning around and leaving when he saw the woman.

The woman's husband and two children were also in the house at the time.

Police were called and Jaworski was arrested.

He had a holdall containing four screwdrivers and three cans of lager from the village hall, along with a torch.

Jaworski's DNA was discovered on empty lager cans found at the village hall.

Jaworski, of no fixed address, admitted two charges of burglary and one charge of going equipped for burglary.

Austin Newman, mitigating, said Jaworski had lost his labouring job in the construction industry in April due to the coronavirus pandemic and ended up homeless after falling out with his parents.

The court heard Jaworski had moved to London in a bid to find work and had travelled to Leeds after a friend offered him work.

Mr Newman said the job did not materialise and he had no cash to return to London so had slept rough in Leeds for around six nights.

Mr Newman said Jaworski had been begging and broke into the village hall for shelter.

Jailing Jaworski for 16 months, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told him: "When in the village hall you ripped open cupboards, causing over £1,000 damage."