A FRIEND of the bride invaded wedding guests’ bedrooms in the early hours and stole an £8,000 watch and other items at a luxury North Yorkshire venue, York Crown Court heard.

Stephen Johnson burst into the “Priests’ Hiding Hole” suite at Carlton Towers at 4am, woke the couple sleeping there and cried out “Who do you think you are with your posh car and your fancy suite?” said Michael Bosomworth, prosecuting.

As the couple threw him out of the room, he said: “I just came to offer a line of coke.”

It was only after they awoke the next morning that the two wedding guests realised Johnson had taken their £8,000 watch and two pairs of sunglasses and left in their room a set of car keys taken from another wedding guest he had disturbed.

In total Johnson had gone into three guests’ rooms in the luxury venue south of Selby.

He also took three bottles of “high class” vodka put out in a hallway with a buffet for wedding guests staying there, which did not include Johnson, said Mr Bosomworth.

Johnson, 29 pleaded guilty to burglary and theft.

Recorder Tim Roberts QC said: “Your behaviour was appalling at your friend’s wedding. If I thought this was a determined attempt by a professional thief to take high value property from vulnerable hotel guests, you would be going straight into custody.”

He gave Johnson, formerly of Bury, Lancashire, a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered him to pay £535 prosecution costs and a £100 statutory surcharge.

For Johnson, Peter Gilmour said: “The offences were the stupid result of drinking far too much.”

Johnson had been living in Dubai for some time where alcohol was unavailable and had a low alcohol tolerance.

Johnson denied saying anything about cocaine and was not involved with drugs in any way.

As a result of his actions he had destroyed the friendship he had had with the bride, with whom he had grown up.