TWO crooks “completely ransacked” an office after ramming a business site barrier with a stolen car during a night-time crime spree.

James Broughton, 27, and 21-year-old accomplice Carl Millar committed a spate of offending in the Carlisle area.

The city’s crown court heard how Millar, before involvement in the illegal activity, had worked as a chef at the luxury Trump Turnberry resort in Scotland.

Prosecutor Beccy McGregor told how the pair stole a Citroen Picasso containing tools and personal belongings - later recovered - from a residential Carlisle street in October 3.

That vehicle was used to ram a barrier at the entrance to a business on a large commercial site in the Cotehill area. It appeared Broughton and Millar had walked several hundreds yards and vaulted over seven-foot fences before smashing their way into an office.

“That was completely ransacked and left in a complete mess,” said Ms McGregor. Around £4,000 damage was caused, and items valued at several thousand pounds were snatched, although later recovered.

On their way to and from the burglary, they also visited the Golden Fleece service station and stole wine. Broughton, said Ms McGregor, purchased one bottle and “appeared to have white powder on his nose”.

He and Millar were caught after police received an anonymous 1.53am tip-off. “This was of two males acting suspiciously and removing items from a car in the area of Dunmallet Rigg in Carlisle,” said Ms McGregor.

Both Broughton, of Dunmallet Rigg, and Millar, of Meadow View, were arrested. They later admitted a number of offences, including the commercial burglary, theft of power tools and aggravated vehicle taking.

Mark Shepherd, defending Broughton, spoke of his life being “blighted by personal problems”, and going “downhill”.

“The planning seems to have been influenced by drunk and drugs, and without any thought about what the outcome of this enterprise would be,” said Mr Shepherd.

Paul Tweddle, for Millar, confirmed: “This was not a sophisticated spree.”

Millar, he revealed, had worked as a chef at the “prestigious” Trump complex, where he was “clearly well thought of”.

“He is a foolish young man who was involved in a spree of criminal activity,” he added.

Both men were jailed for 22 months.