The sleepy burglar caught dozing next to half-eaten cheesecake during raid on Sunderland restaurant 808 Bar & Kitchen

On Saturday, October 24, officers were alerted to a break-in at 808 Bar & Kitchen on St Thomas Street, Sunderland.

It was reported that offenders had forced entry into the premises and broke into the till, which was empty, as well as stealing food and alcohol.

Cops were on the scene within four minutes and upon entering they were in for a surprise – after finding raider Mark Cooper fast asleep on the floor, along with the half-eaten cheesecake.

It was not the most relaxing wake-up call for the 41-year-old who was swiftly placed in handcuffs and taken into custody.

On Monday, October 26, Cooper, of Victoria Place, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to the burglary when appearing before magistrates in South Tyneside. He was subsequently jailed for 26 weeks.

Detective Constable Catherine Gibson, of Northumbria Police, said: “This burglary clearly proved to be tiring work for Cooper, and it’s safe to say he was brought back to the real world with a bump when awoken by our officers.

“This was a fantastic piece of police work between various teams – from the response cops who attended the scene so quickly to the detectives who pulled together the case to secure his conviction.

“As a result, a burglar who showed a total disregard for his victim and the wider community was arrested, convicted and put behind bars – all within 48 hours.

“We will not tolerate this kind of criminality and we understand that burglary is a crime that has a corrosive impact on society. As a result, I hope this positive and swift action acts as reassurance to businesses that we will take decisive action against burglars and thieves.”

An investigation is ongoing to identify any other individuals involved in the break-in. Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101 quoting log 175 241020.

If you see anything suspicious in your community, always report it via our website or by calling 101. In an emergency or if a crime is happening, ring 999.

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