French restaurant burglar became too drunk to escape

The 56-year-old man appeared in court this week - on Tuesday August 20 - accused of breaking into a restaurant in a shopping centre in Gonfreville-l'Orcher (near Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy) last Saturday.

Having broken in without triggering any alarms, the man is then accused of helping himself to food and drink in the restaurant’s kitchen, and drinking so much alcohol that he became unable to find a way out.

The man then allegedly remained trapped inside the closed restaurant all day Sunday, and was only discovered when a security guard checked in on Monday morning.

The burglar was reportedly found in the kitchen, surrounded by empty bottles. The security guard then called the police.

Tests revealed that the accused’s blood alcohol level was at 0.77ml. He was also found to have pocketed six cheques belonging to the restaurant, along with €33 in cash.

Following the hearing on Tuesday, the accused is now expected to face trial for breaking and entering and theft.