Boy, 12, admits burgling Claridge’s in Mayfair and top hotels in Knightsbridge and Kensington in 10-month London spree aided by his 13-year-old brother
- The now-13-year-old boy admitted being involved in 11 burglaries across London
- Claridge’s, Milestone Hotel and The Millennium Hotel were targeted in the raids
- The boy’s older brother, now 14, admitted involvement in two burglaries
- They have been released on bail prior to sentencing, scheduled for September
A 13-year-old boy has pled guilty to 11 burglaries over a 10-month spree at some of London’s top luxury hotels and the BBC Television Centre, a court has heard.
The boy, who was 12 at the time of the offences, admitted to raids on Claridge’s in Mayfair, Kensington’s Milestone Hotel, The Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge and the Corinthian Hotel in Whitehall, Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court was told today (Wednesday).
During the hearing, he also admitted targeting offices of retailer The White Company and the Publicis media agency within the BBC complex in White City, west London.
The string of burglaries, which lasted between March 2021 and January 2022, also included thefts from a restaurant and a number of high street shops, including Holland and Barrett, TK Maxx and Sainsbury’s.
Items stolen during the spree included cash, bank cards, cosmetics, a MacBook, phones and a scooter, the court heard.
Claridge’s in Mayfair was one of the prestigious venues targeted in the 10-month crime spree
The then 12-year-old boy also admitted to a burglary at the Corinthian Hotel in Whitehall, London
The Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge was burgled by the boy, in a series of raids which prosecutors said relied on gaining access to private parts of businesses
During a burglary at one hotel, the teenager and his 14-year-old brother, then 13, obtained the master key and gained access to a number of rooms, the prosecution said.
The two boys, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were accompanied by their mother when they appeared in court for the hearing.
The 13-year-old pleaded guilty to 11 charges of burglary while his older brother admitted involvement in two.
The older brother was only accused of involvement in three of the burglaries.
The boys had originally pleaded not guilty to all offences, along side an adult co-defendant, Shane McCarthy, 19.
McCarthy also faced 11 counts of burglary.
Kristin Heimark, prosecuting, said most of the offences involved the boy gaining access to private areas of the businesses.
Describing one hotel raid, she said: ‘They have snuck in, gotten the master key, and then gone to various rooms looking for things.’
The prosecution brought no evidence in relation to a further alleged burglary at a restaurant against both boys, and two more alleged incidents at a second restaurant and the Four Seasons Hotel in Park Lane against the younger of the two. The charges were then dismissed.
The two brothers, whose cases are being heard in a youth court, are due to be sentenced in September and were released on conditional bail until their next court appearance.
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