A burglar told police his DNA had been found at the scene of a break-in because he'd had sex there.
Jamie Bennett, 31, was arrested along with Michael Wigley, 33, after ransacking an archery club in Runcorn, Cheshire, the ECHO reports.
As he was detained, he explained to officers that his DNA was found on a bottle at the scene because he "had sex with a girl there" and "must have left a bottle."
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Chester Crown Court was told how CCTV filmed eight hooded and masked men, clad in black, approaching the Kyujutsu Archery Club before five intruders broke inside in April 2019.
Three of the gang remained outside.
One figure who entered was filmed carrying a crowbar, while another had a sledgehammer and another a can of petrol, the court heard.
Intruders stole items including bows, arrows and drinks, in addition to ripping down a security camera and removing the hard drive.
They also smashed their way into lockers.
A fire then broke out at the building resulting in emergency services attending the scene, the court was told.
The owner of the centre, Chris Ord, who had renovated the building and built up the club over three years, joined police as they searched the wider area by torchlight.
Among the items found were some drinks bottles he recognised as having been bought by Mr Ord at Costco a few days earlier.
The bottles’ batch numbers were later matched to the store, and DNA samples on the bottles provided a "full hit" for Bennett, and a probable hit for his co-defendant Michael Wigley, 33.
When arrested, Bennett and Wigley denied their involvement, with Bennett trying to explain the DNA match on the drink by claiming he "had sex with a girl there in the past and must have left a bottle".
Wigley claimed he had been fishing in the area.
But the Costco batch numbers matched those of the drinks bottles on sale in the branch of Costco on the day when Mr Ord bought them, leaving the burglars’ deception in tatters.
The total estimated value of the damaged and stolen goods excluding fire-damage was £9,265.
Mr Ord read his victim impact statement in court, describing the "massive" effect it had on him, saying: "I worked so hard in the club to build it to where it was.
"I was completely devastated, I was ready to give up on the club and the thought about doing all that work was overwhelming."
Claire Jones, defending Bennett, said her client was now in a "stable relationship" and deserved credit for his guilty plea.
She said he insisted he was a lookout, telling the court: "Mr Bennett’s view is he and Mr Wigley were outside keeping lookout and stupidly agreed to do that."
Paul Wood, representing Wigley, said his client had a "horrible childhood", and in 2017 when he last left prison was a "drug user and homeless" and experiencing a "real lack of stability in his life."
He said that had all changed now with a steady partner and new daughter, along with family responsibilities being "very much a full time dad."
Recorder Everett told Bennett and Wigley being a lookout did not diminish their responsibility.
"Whether you were inside or outside makes no difference whatsoever," he said.
"Your lives have been a blight to the community in terms of your offending, truly shameful lives.
"In this particular case there was theft of property causing a significant degree of loss to your victim."
Both Bennett, of The Knoll, Runcorn, and Wigley, of Coral Avenue, Huyton, were jailed for three years after pleading guilty to one count of burglary.
Three other defendants had already previously been sentenced in relation to the case:
Robert Lingham, 20, of Pitt Street, St Helens, was jailed for 15 months in March for burglary.
Daniel Henderson, 19, of Wheatlands, Runcorn, was jailed for 27 months in March, comprising nine months for burglary and 18 months consecutive over an unconnected case of affray.
Connor Crawley, 18, of Fallowfield, Runcorn, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Kyujutsu has since been rebranded Phoenix Community Archery Club.
