A MAN stole cancer medication from an elderly couple’s hotel room after his friend conned the receptionist into handing over the key card.

Thomas Ian Dobbie, 20, admitted taking the tablets from the Premier Inn on City Road, Chester, on June 13 this year.

His pal, Brandon Lam, 21, also pleaded guilty to fraud when the Liverpool pair appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Monday (July 1).

The court heard the pair had left empty beer cans in the room and were caught after being confronted by staff and the distraught couple.

Both were given 12-week prison sentences, suspended for a year, and must abide by a daily 7pm to 7am curfew for 12 weeks.

They were also each ordered to pay £250 in compensation to the victims, who were said to be “horrendously distressed” by the incident.

Rob Youds, prosecuting, said the two men had been in the city on a night out when they discovered there were no trains back home to Kirkby.

Drunk, they wandered back into the city centre at around 9.30pm before stumbling upon the hotel where Lam “chanced his luck” with a staff member, claiming he had lost his card to room 204.

The pair then sat around drinking in the room before leaving for a short while.

During this time, at around 10.30pm, the elderly victims had tried to use their key card and informed reception that it was not working.

They went to the room to find empty beer and cider cans, and also discovered cancer medication and other tablets had been taken.

The staff member then spotted the defendants walking towards him and, recognising Lam, confronted the duo.

The pair left via a fire escape but were soon located by police.

In a statement, victim Colin Elliott, who is in his mid-70s, said the incident had been “horrendously distressing”.

He added: “I came to Chester with my wife for a relaxing break. I didn’t expect to have my medication stolen. It has caused me and my wife a lot of stress.”

Both defendants made admissions during their police interviews and were said to be remorseful.

Richard Sibeon, defending Dobbie, said his client had no recollection of what happened and had just followed his friend to the hotel room.

“He had no idea of the vulnerability of the victims when he committed the offence,” the solicitor said.

Scott Phillips, for Lam, said his client had simply “chanced his luck” obtaining the key card and stressed it was not a “targeted offence”.

“He made a stupid choice,” Mr Phillips told the court. “He has thrown away his good character for what is a serious offence.”

Lam, who until recently worked as a civil engineer on the railways and lives on Peatwood Avenue in Kirkby, has no previous convictions.

However, Dobbie, who receives Universal Credit and lives at Lingtree Road, Kirkby, has three previous convictions for four offences including an assault on a police officer.

The court heard the Premier Inn employee had been the subject of internal disciplinary action for failing to follow company procedure.