Arcade ban for fruit machine bandit

A MAN who stole hundreds of pounds in coins from fruit machines before pretending he had won has been banned from every amusement arcade in the country.

Peter Storr, 22, has been given a five-year anti-social behaviour order after a series of thefts from gaming machines.

He used a device to get into them and when he thought no-one was watching he would steal the money inside before lifting his arms in the air in fake celebration.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sentencing him at Hull Crown Court, Judge Michael Mettyear said Storr, of Rudham Avenue, Grimsby, had turned his thefts into a "cottage industry".

Storr was halted in his tracks after targeting fruit machines in arcades at The Forum in Bridlington on July 25 last year.

On that occasion, he had targeted four machines, making off with 220 in coins.

Each time he pretended that he had won before moving onto the next machine.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Storr, who pleaded guilty to theft three weeks before he was due to stand trial, has previous convictions for similar thefts from gaming machines.

He was issued with the five-year anti-social behaviour order by Judge Mettyear, the honorary recorder of Hull and the East Riding.

Judge Mettyear said: "You seem to have turned this offending into a cottage industry and been determined to go about this. This is continuing offending. It is pretty petty stuff."

The court heard the 22-year-old even told probation officers prior to being sentenced that he "made his money" from gaming machines.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His barrister Richard Thompson added that he had been claiming benefits as well for the last five months.

Storr was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work in the community.

He was also ordered to repay 145 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

No one was available to comment from The Forum yesterday.

Related topics: