By removing a ceiling tile and dropping down from the roof, a former employee of the Pirate's Landing restaurant and bar in Somerset managed to raid his ex-boss's office three times and steal $1,350.

But his luck ran out when the owner noticed small pieces of debris from the ceiling tile on his desk each day and, after first suspecting mice for creating the mess later became suspicious and decided to view footage from camera security system to find out what was going on, a court heard.

It was then that Jose Ventura, 54, was seen dropping down from the ceiling and helping himself to some of the restaurant's daily takings before making good his escape from the locked office.

Ventura, of Dockyard Terrace, Sandys, had worked at the restaurant for around ten years and in that time had been given the keys to the building but not for the locked office where the takings were securely kept each night.

Using his own initiative Ventura found a way to gain access to the locked office by entering through the ceiling. But by removing and replacing the ceiling tile each time he inadvertently dropped small pieces of the tile on the owner's desk below.

In court, Crown counsel Graveney Bannister said that on September 28 the restaurant owner noticed pieces of the ceiling had fallen onto his desk.

"He thought it was mice at first," said Mr. Bannister, but later he discovered $850 was missing from the takings and he became suspicious and decided to look at footage from the security camera, which had been installed and was activated by any movement within the premises when it was closed.

The camera had caught Ventura dropping into the office having removed a ceiling tile and then leaving again through the same roof space and replacing the ceiling tile behind him.

The following day the same crime was committed ? and again it was caught on camera. This time $500 of property was taken.

Police were given copies of the camera footage which showed Ventura entering the office on three occasions between September 27 and 29.

On the first occasion nothing was taken.

Appearing in the Magistrates' Court Ventura, through a translator, pleaded guilty to one charge of trying to break into the restaurant at Dockyard Terrace with intent to commit a felony and two charges of breaking in and stealing property to a combined value of $1,350.

Ventura, who has no previous convictions, said the crimes were out of character and by way of explanation mentioned that he needed to pay for a car.

Magistrate Juan Wolffe adjourned sentencing until November 15 for a social inquiry report to be made.