Fraility of plot scuppered young actor's shop fraud

Student Daniel Killen, 18, who had previously starred as the Sheriff of Nottingham and in High School Musical with a local drama group, was desperate to pay off his credit card.

He claimed a masked robber threw him to the floor of the shop in Wigginton, near York, before fleeing with cash.

Only when police became suspicious did he confess the burglary had been a sham plotted with friend Richard Caygill, 20, as the jobless pair struggled with debts.

Yesterday both were given two-year community orders with a year's supervision at York Crown Court for what Judge Ben Nolan QC branded "a crazy scheme" which was "bound to fail". Both were also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work each and repay 808 to the shop owners.

Prosecuting, David Garnett said that Killen, a member of local drama group the Rowntree Players and the Flying Ducks Youth Theatre, began working at Wigginton Village Stores in November last year.

On March 14 at 9.20pm Caygill entered the shop and headed for a drawer where a bag of money was kept. He grabbed it and pushed Killen as he left.

Police quickly realised there must have been some sort of inside information because Caygill knew exactly where to go to find the bag containing the cash.

Defending, Kevin Blount said the pair admitted their crimes when challenged by police. The men, both from York, admitted burglary. Killen also admitted perverting the course of justice.