THREE students who trashed a Ryedale haulage firm’s depot, causing £50,000 damage, will know their fate in Christmas week.

The three appeared at Scarborough Magistrates Court on Monday and each pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal and causing criminal damage at Ward Bros in Showfield Lane, Malton, on September 4.

After the magistrates ruled they must be sent to York Crown Court for their punishment, one of them was told to stay in court to explain why he still owed hundreds of pounds in fines from a previous offence.

The three, who are all aged 20, are: Eric Peter Bowie, of Alma Street, Sheffield; David Budden of Holbeck Hill, Scarborough and Alexander Richardson of Crambeck Village, Welburn.

No other details about the men were given in court but Michael Blackwood, prosecuting, said that at about 1am they entered the firm’s yard where several of the lorries were parked overnight.

They used a forklift truck to ram the front of the lorries and two cars were also overturned.

They then broke into the office, causing some damage, and took a laptop and a CCTV disk to avoid being identified.

The men then abandoned the disk, which was later found and the laptop was discovered at one of their properties.

Mr Blackwood said they should all be sent to the crown court and the magistrates agreed they should appear in the week beginning December 22. They were given unconditional bail.

They were warned that if they re-offended before then or did not turn up they would be arrested.

The firm, which has been in business in Malton for 22 years, has 50 staff and 40 trucks split between its Malton and Middlesbrough depots.

Bowie was then questioned on his own about the fact he still owed just over £776 in fines for other offences involving damages – and was told by the magistrates to get a job to pay them.

The court heard that £1,270 had been paid. He said the fines were supposed to be paid by his stepfather and he had “no idea” why the rest had not been paid.

He was a full-time student and his student loan paid for food and accommodation.

The magistrates warned him he could be sent to prison if he did not pay the fines and added it was important to get work.

He offered to pay £10 a week, but the court decided to postpone any decision until after the crown court hearing.