Andrew Pickering, 50, broke into a garage in Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, by climbing through the roof in the early hours of the morning. Once inside, he rummaged through the shop, causing more than £3,000 worth of damage. But it was his attempted escape that would ultimately seal his fate and his internet legacy.

CCTV footage later released by police shows Pickering trying to retrace his steps back through the ceiling hole he had entered from. Instead, gravity had other plans. Each attempt ended the same way: a failed climb, followed by a heavy drop back onto the shop floor. Four separate falls recorded in HD.

After abandoning the roof exit, Pickering eventually left through a side door. Unfortunately for him, he was identified by police from  CCTV footage and blood left at the garage, leading to his arrest shortly afterwards.

Pickering pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. His accomplice, Daniel Reay, 46, was also charged and later given a community order, including requirements for alcohol treatment and rehabilitation.

Durham Police later shared the footage online, where it quickly gained attention, not for the seriousness of the crime, but for the absurdity of its execution. Viewers described the repeated falls as “painful to watch” and “impossible to look away from,” a reminder that even carefully planned crimes can unravel in the most unexpected ways.