SLEEPING on the job took on a whole new meaning last week when a man was found semi-conscious in the roof of a chemist’s shop hours after it had been burgled.
Detective Shaun Rampal, of Frankston CIU, said the Frankston man, 29, may have fallen unconscious after consuming prescription drugs allegedly stolen from shelves during the early morning raid.
Police were called to Chemist Warehouse on Wells Street after staff heard banging and thumping in the ceiling, 5.30pm, Saturday 18 August. They were unsure whether the noise was caused by a person or a trapped animal until a man’s head appeared through a hole in the ceiling. Frankston CFA crews used a ladder to bring him down.
CCTV footage showed a man gaining access to the store through the roof and rifling the shelves at 3am, 14 hours earlier. He then scampered back into the ceiling cavity where he remained until his movements alerted staff.
The man was taken to Frankston Hospital for treatment. He was expected to be charged with burglary upon his release from hospital, Detective Rampal said.