52yrs old homeless man order for Champagne and food worth over 140,000 at a five-star hotel then strolled out without paying (Details, pics)

A homeless man with a taste for the finer things in life walked into a five-star hotel, ordered a steak and bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne and left without paying.

Michael Andrew Phillips, 52, ran up a £400 bill when he decided to treat himself to an expensive meal at the plush Old Court House hotel in New Jersey.

Staff told him he was not allowed to remain in the bar without ordering food so he ordered prawn cocktail, ribeye steak and several drinks including champagne.

He then asked for a room in the £150-a-night hotel overlooking St Aubin harbour, before ordering two more bottles of wine.

Phillips handed over his driving licence as proof of his identity but then walked out of the hotel without paying, taking the wine with him.

He was tracked down and charged with criminally and fraudulently obtaining food and lodgings.

Phillips, of no fixed above, admitted the offences at the island's magistrates' court.

Centenier Amanda Wright, an senior elected member of Jersey's honorary police force, said: 'He had prawn cocktail, ribeye steak, wine and a bottle of Dom Pérignon.'

The bill was not paid and he asked for a room.

'He gave his driving licence as identification and had two bottles of unopened wine on him as he headed toward the hotel room.

'Mrs Wright said that there was no sign of him in the hotel the next morning and no indication he had slept in the bed.

Advocate John McCormick, defending, said Phillips suffered from mental health problems and had not been taking the correct medication at the time.

Phillips was later arrested and positively identified by staff. He told police he had very little recollection of the evening.

The court arranged for Phillips to attend an immediate appointment at the community mental health services who would try to find accommodation for him.

He said: 'My understanding is that he is currently excluded from the various shelters and that includes Sanctuary House.'

Magistrate Bridget Shaw told Phillips: 'You were not on the right medication at the time.

As long as you keep taking your medication, there is no reason to believe that you will do anything like this again.'

She ordered him to repay the hotel compensation equal to its losses and he was bound over to be of good behaviour for 12 months.