A TRUSTED telecoms engineer sneaked into a storage cabin at Penrith and stole phone mast batteries worth £21,500.

The burglary committed by 39-year-old Martin Whalen was discovered because his removal of the batteries – designed to keep the Beacon Edge Vodafone mast operating in a power cut - interrupted the power supply.

Investigators suspected the crime was an 'inside job' because there was no sign of a break-in, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Whalen, of Rosefield Road, Dumfries, admitted the burglary. He had already been sentenced for a similar offence north of the border.

Outlining the Penrith offence, prosecutor Brendan Burke said it happened on the afternoon of May 28, 2020. A power interruption at 2.50pm that day prompted Vodafone to send an engineer to check the storage cabin.

That was when the theft of the 28 batteries was discovered. “Because of their value, the batteries are housed in a secure cabin,” said Mr Burke.

Mr Burke explained that the mast had not stopped operating because the burglar had taken the precaution of “taping off” the wires that he had disconnected while removing the batteries.

Whalen at the time worked for the firm Ericsson, who had the contract for maintenance of the Vodafone mast.

The prosecutor continued: “The lock had not been forced, suggesting that somebody had used a key card belonging to Ericsson."

Further evidence that it was an inside job was the expert way in which the wires which the batteries were attached to had been made safe by the burglar.

Police also confirmed that the defendant’s mobile phone was active in the area at the time of the burglary; there was also a sighting of his van.

Jeff Smith, defending, said a background report prepared by the Probation Service set out why Whalen got himself into such “hot water.”

The reasons included a relationship breakdown following the loss of an unborn child and the defendant developing a gambling addiction, said Mr Smith.

Following his conviction for similar offending in Scotland, Whalen had lost his job, said Mr Smith and he had sought to rebuild his life.

The loss to the company from the offence prosecuted in 2022 had now been repaid in its entirely, said Mr Smith, adding: “He has shown himself to be capable of rehabilitation.”

Recorder Brian Whitehead told the defendant: “You were a man of previous good character and there was another offence for which you have been sentenced. There was some degree of planning and organisation.”

The judge also noted the defendant’s abuse of trust that was placed in him by his employer. He imposed a 12-month community order which involves a three month 7pm to 5am curfew and seven rehabilitation days.

The defendant must pay Vodafone compensation of £1,200.