A BURGLAR who stole money from a hair salon had taken drink from a pub four days earlier.

Blackburn Magistrates’ Court heard John David McKay stole a till and cash from Triangles Hair and Beauty in Preston Old Road, Blackburn, on Sunday.

The court heard four days earlier McKay, 42, stole alcohol from the Sir Charles Napier pub, Blackburn. Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said when police investigated an alarm at the pub at 5.40am they found a glass panel in the door was broken.

They found McKay on the ground nearby with a bag containing bottles of drink. He had fallen fleeing the pub and was taken to hospital. Because of his injuries the officers released him pending further investigation.

The court heard four days later he was seen leaving the hair salon carrying a till which contained £40 in cash. Charlotte Cassidy-Garner, who runs the salon, told the Lancashire Telegraph on Monday that a charity box was taken during the break-in and the front door was badly damaged.

Mrs Cassidy-Garner, 31, said a taxi driver from Intack and Central Private Hire saw a man come out of the shop, followed him and alerted the police. She said she aims to find the driver and thank him.

McKay, 42, of Hancock Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to burglary at the pub and theft of alcohol, and burglary at the hair salon and theft of a till and cash. He was made subject to a community order for 18 months, told to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days, was fined £30 and ordered to pay £30 compensation to the pub.

Following the hearing, Mrs Cassidy-Garner said: “He’s been brought before court to be punished. It’s the court which decides the appropriate punishment, however it doesn’t change the fact we still have to deal with the break-in. We’ve got to deal with the costs of replacing the broken door, and we’ve got to get the till and the cash back. We’ve also had all the stress to deal with.”

The mother said the business has belonged to her aunt and uncle, Sarah and Eric Brotherton, for 30 years and the pair had gone to Ireland to see friends. The couple held a charity fundraiser for the Marie Curie charity after it supported a relative who died.

Colleen Dickinson-Jones, defending, said McKay was drunk when he followed another man into the pub through an already-broken window. “When he got out he fell and injured his head and the police took him to hospital,” she added.