A YOUNG man entertained his friends with an indulgent night out at a luxury hotel using false credit card details, Teesside Crown Court was told yesterday.

Liam Hickson, 19, of Major Street in Darlington, was challenged about the offence while sharing a jacuzzi with his friends at the Redworth Hall Hotel, near Shildon, the court was told.

Hickson, who admitted two charges of obtaining goods by deception and one of burglary, was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution and ordered to serve a 78-day period from an earlier sentence.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, told the court that Hickson had obtained a key to his grandparents' home from neighbours by trickery and used it to steal benefit books.

The charge of obtaining goods by deception had come about, the court heard, when Hickson pre-booked two rooms and ordered a bottle of champagne at the luxury hotel using false credit card details.

The second offence, of obtaining goods by deception, had also included the use of false credit card details, said Mr Baker.

Defending Hickson, Nigel Wray said that at the time of the burglary he had been thrown out of his home.

He described Hickson as an intelligent young man who knew he was facing a custodial sentence and intended to use his time usefully in the young offenders' institution