Two men from Erdington have pleaded guilty to carrying out a burglary at a local Lidl supermarket, after a police response led to one of the suspects being discovered hiding inside a refrigerator.
Police Response and Arrests
West Midlands Police were called to reports of a break-in at the Lidl store on Sutton Road, Erdington, in the early hours of Friday, January 2. Officers arrived swiftly at the scene to investigate the incident.
Upon their arrival, police apprehended 45-year-old Anthony Kelly outside the premises. He was subsequently charged with burglary and possession of class A drugs.
His accomplice, 41-year-old Matthew Kimberlee, was located inside the supermarket itself. In a bizarre twist, Kimberlee was found by officers attempting to conceal himself inside a commercial refrigerator unit.
Court Appearances and Guilty Pleas
Both men, who share an address on Kingsbury Road in Erdington, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court over the weekend of Saturday, January 3.
A court spokesperson confirmed that the magistrates accepted guilty pleas from both defendants. The men were remanded on conditional bail following their admissions.
Their case has now been adjourned for a pre-sentence hearing. They are next scheduled to appear before the court on Monday, March 23.
Ongoing Legal Process
The swift police action brought a rapid conclusion to the attempted burglary. A statement from West Midlands Police detailed the sequence of events that led to the two arrests.
With guilty pleas already entered, the judicial process will now move towards sentencing. The court will consider the circumstances of the crime, including the unusual method of concealment, at the next hearing in March.
