A TEENAGER who was arrested after swimming out to sea fully clothed in a bid to avoid police has denied burglary. The charge relates to a break-in at the house of the Grammar School’s deputy head teacher, Mike Sebire.

Yesterday, the Royal Court heard how the 16-year-old was arrested after swimming from Port Grat to Rousse headland. He stopped on a rocky outcrop, from where some of the stolen items were recovered. Others were found on the beach.

Crown Advocate Philip Robey alleged that the defendant entered Mr Sebire’s house in the Vale on the morning of 10 February after the family had left for work.

Approximately £50 in cash, a wallet with various cards, a passport, a mobile phone, a knife, discount stamps and some dressmaking pins had been taken.

Entry appeared to be through a bedroom window, which had apparently been forced. A footprint was found on the window and some rope nearby.

Mr Sebire, his wife, Jennifer, and son, Tim, all gave evidence that they had noticed nothing missing the night before or on the morning of the alleged incident.

Mrs Sebire said she was the last person to leave the house at about 8.35am. While the defendant accepted receiving the stolen goods, he denied carrying out the burglary.

David Bynam, who lives 18 minutes away from the Sebires’ house, told the court how he noticed the defendant in his driveway when he returned home from visiting the vet with a rabbit.

It was about 10.15 and when he got out of his car to fetch the rabbit, he asked the teenager what he was doing.

The youth said something about valuables and went into the bush and picked out a plastic bag, turned to leave, but went back and picked out a knife.

Mr Bynam rang the police and officers in an unmarked car spotted the defendant walking along Route de Port Grat.

The driver turned the car around and followed the youth along a gravel path. He went through the bushes onto the beach. The officers said that he crouched down and appeared to conceal something. When they asked to speak to him, the teenager went into the sea.

Police went around to Rousse headland, where the defendant stopped and told them they had cost him £12,000 because he had had to drop some white tablets.

After the defendant was taken into custody, £21 was discovered during a search; other stolen items were found on the beach.

While in custody, the teenager handed another £10 to an officer after being given a change of clothes, which had also been searched.

In a police interview read out to the court, the defendant said that he had been rung the evening before his arrest by Charlie, an ‘associate’, who later visited his house and told him to pick up some stuff from a hedge. He was to deliver this to the Peninsula Hotel, where he would be met.

The defence case will be heard today.