A man who broke into an historic York school and smashed the place up, causing over £10,000 damage, has been spared jail.
Liam Brammer, 24, broke into 200-year-old Bootham School by smashing its double doors with a fire extinguisher.
He then ran amok inside the independent Quaker school, smashing school equipment to smithereens, York Crown Court heard.
The bizarre raid occurred at about 6.30am on 10 February, when police received a call from a member of the public saying they had seen a man bleeding and carrying a fire extinguisher on Station Road, said prosecutor Michael Cahill.
Brammer told the witness he had “just broken into a school”, that he was from Wakefield and was called Liam.
Police arrived at the scene and were given a description of a shaven-headed man, but Brammer had already made off over Lendal Bridge.
Later that morning, Bootham School contacted police to report a break-in and “extensive damage”.
“The double doors that led into the drama school had been smashed by a fire extinguisher,” said Ms Morrison.
CCTV from the school showed a man matching Brammer’s description smashing the glass panes and locks of the drama department’s doors, and damaging a projector, laboratory equipment and computer monitors.
He also smashed up a glass tank used for pupil projects and teaching aids, and furniture was strewn all over the classrooms.
Ms Morrison said that just over £10,163 of damage had been caused to the school and equipment.
No recollection
Crime-scene investigators obtained blood samples left behind by Brammer but couldn’t match it to any individual profile on the police DNA database because he had never been arrested before.
The investigation was closed just two months later, but in March this year Brammer was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and, although no further action was taken by police, a DNA sample was taken from him and uploaded to the national database. It showed a match with the blood left behind at the school.
Brammer was arrested and brought in for questioning in May but refused to answer police questions.
He ultimately admitted criminal damage and burglary with intention to cause damage and appeared for sentence today (Tuesday, November 1).
Ms Morrison said that Brammer, of Hastings Grove, Wakefield, had been drinking in York with friends before the break-in which had caused “substantial loss” to the school, “not just (financially) but to class projects”.
Defence barrister Emily Hassell said Brammer had endured a “tragic” past and at the time of the offences he was living in temporary, supported accommodation in Wakefield.
He was taken into hospital on several occasions in the months leading up to the burglary after suffering “significant mental-health issues”.
She said he had “next to no recollection” of breaking into the school because of the amount of alcohol he had drunk.
She said that since the bizarre incident, Brammer had found work first in the hospitality sector and then working with vulnerable adults with mental-health problems in a residential setting.
He had been suspended from that job after the offences came to light and faced a disciplinary hearing later this month, but his employer had nevertheless given him a glowing character reference.
‘Enormous amount of damage’
Recorder Paul Reid said Brammer was “clearly in quite a bad way” at the time of the offences and his problems had been exacerbated by drink.
He told Brammer: “Somehow, having been out with friends, you find your way to Bootham School where you broke in.
“For reasons that are not apparent and probably never will be, you caused an enormous amount of damage.”
However, the judge said he had noted Brammer’s hitherto clean record and that he had endured an “utterly appalling time as a child and as an adolescent”.
He said for those reasons he would go along with the recommendations of the Probation Service for a community disposal.
Brammer was given a two-year community order with up 120 hours of unpaid work and up to 20 days’ rehabilitation activity.
Mr Reid said it was “completely unrealistic” to order compensation due to Brammer’s limited financial means.
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