A caravan man is fined for tapping into a Travelodge hotel's electricity

A desperate thief who tapped into a hotel's electricity supply to heat and light his caravan has been fined.
Travelodge.Travelodge.
Travelodge.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, May 30, how Scott Simons, 40, of Applewood Close, Belper, parked his caravan near the Travelodge, on Colliery Road, at Swanwick, and attached a cable from his caravan into an electrical point at the hotel.

Prosecuting solicitor Marianne Connally said: “There was a caravan at the rear of the premises and it had been there the previous day and there was a cable running from it to an electrical point at the hotel.

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“It was using a facility available only to the hotel and paying guests.”

Miss Connally added that the amount of electricity used by Simons in December, last year, could not be quantified but his caravan had been spotted near the hotel the previous day.

Simons told police he was the owner of a vehicle which was towing the caravan and he admitted fitting an electrical lead to the hotel to provide him with heating and lighting for the caravan.

The defendant claimed he had been shown where to plug the cable in by someone from Burger King and Simons has since offered to pay for any used electricity.

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He added that the cable was only plugged in for about two hours and at the time it was snowing and he was homeless.

Simons pleaded guilty to using a quantity of electricity without authority on December 29, last year.

Magistrates fined Simons £40 and ordered him to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs.