Meet the Man who released rat into restaurant to avoid paying Valentine buffet bill

                               

They say "Sharp guy no be thief"...... A diner tried to get out of paying for his £7.25 Valentine's Day buffet meal for one by releasing his pet rat into the restaurant. According to Mailonline, Christopher Baker, 28, ordered the meal from the Borneo Bistro in Sunderland and sat down to eat alone, before pulling the pet rodent from his pocket, releasing it onto the floor and demanding a refund.

Embarrassed waiters apologized and handed over the £7.25 but when pest control examined the creature they found it had the appearance of a domestic pet, and had recently 'had a haircut'.

Bistro owner Kevin Smith then checked the restaurant's CCTV and spotted Baker producing the rat and putting it on the floor.Baker, of Houghton, Sunderland later admitted fraud by false representation, and was ordered to pay the restaurant the £7.25 back in compensation, as well as a £60 victim surcharge.The prosecutor said

'He picked his food up and found a seat at a table on his own at the back of the restaurant.

'At shortly before 4pm he suddenly jumps up and shouts 'It's a rat. I'm not eating here, I want my money back'.

'Mr Smith perhaps smelled a rat at this particular point and he retrieved the rat from the floor.

He waited until a family moved from the table next to him and retrieved what appeared to be a rat from his pocket and dropped it on the floor. He then jumped out of his seat.

'He then claimed that whilst he's been eating, the rat has bitten his finger. He asked for his money back.

'It was a black and white rat, very calm. It did not appear to be wild at all. Acorn Pest Control attended and they said it appeared to be a pet.

'Mr Smith viewed the CCTV and saw the defendant fiddling in his pocket.' Unfortunately, he then decided to go for a meal. He sat down and ate his meal. When he had finished the meal, he took the rat out. He is very remorseful for his behaviour.'

Mr Smith branded Baker 'scum', and said he deserved to be punished.

'He is just the scum of the earth. He could have destroyed the reputation I have built up over seven years.I was devastated. I thought 'that's it my business is gone'. I didn't sleep that night. People like him deserve the death penalty.'

'As far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't be in our society. He is no use to anybody and he's caused nothing but grief.I find it unbelievable that someone could be willing to go to those lengths for a free meal.'