Good Morning Britain's Ranvir Singh was left baffled by what she described as the 'worst burglary attempt of all time' during Wednesday's episode of the ITV programme. The news anchor shared CCTV footage of 50-year-old Andrew Pickering, who robbed a petrol station in Ouston, County Durham, in October last year.
Pickering entered the service station by making a hole in the ceiling, but his escape plan failed spectacularly. He attempted to leave through the same hole on four occasions, falling each time, before eventually deciding to use the door. Durham Police described his efforts as 'inspirational' due to the number of attempts it took him to get away.
The thief caused approximately £3,219 worth of damage and loss during the burglary in the early hours of 21 October. A forensic examination of the scene revealed a significant amount of blood, which was later confirmed to belong to Pickering.
Appearing at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court last week, Pickering, of Marx Crescent, Stanley, was charged with two counts of burglary and sentenced to 12 months in prison. An accomplice, Daniel Reay, 46, of no fixed abode, was also charged and handed a community order to complete alcohol treatment and rehabilitation activity.
Durham Constabulary shared the CCTV footage on social media, captioning it: 'It's not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up.' Facebook users struggled to contain their laughter, with one commenting: 'Congrats to the interviewers, prosecutors and the jury for not breaking out laughing.'
