A man has admitted damaging a supermarket toilet while trying to charge his mobile phone.

James Roy Pye, 24, broke roof tiles in the bathroom at Tesco on Hibel Road, Macclesfield, magistrates were told.

He had been trying to find plug sockets in the roof space when he slipped.

Pye, formerly of Macclesfield, but now of Middle Walk, Knutsford, pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court.

Simon Pover, prosecuting, said: “The defendant entered Tesco on Hibel Road at 2am on April 26. CCTV operators followed him and saw him purchase two cans of lager and leave the store.

“At 4.30am damage was discovered in the toilets. The ceiling tiles had been smashed and there was a footprint on the toilet dispenser.

“Soon after, Pye returned to the store and was asked to leave. Police arrived and he told them ‘if I just admit it, will you just let me go?’

“He said that he did not know why he did it because of the medication he was on for his depression.”

But Julian Farley, defending, said Pye had a record of committing ‘extremely stupid’ things when drunk.

He said: “He could remember but he was embarrassed. He found himself in Macclesfield without the means of getting back to Knutsford.

“He wanted to contact his brother. He had his mobile and his charger, but no battery. He thought if he went to the toilet and lifted the false ceiling there might be plug points which he could use for a few minutes to charge his phone.

“He put one foot on the toilet and another on the toilet roll dispense but slipped and grabbed the tiles, causing the damage.”

Mr Farley added: “Offences are usually committed after drinking. He usually drinks an enormous amount of alcohol and then does extremely stupid things.”

Magistrates fined him £65, ordered him to pay £100 compensation and £105 court costs.